It's On Us
by Rosewood girl 317
Summary: Hope Fitz is a normal fourteen year old girl who lives with her mother and father, while her older brother, Gregory, attends college at The University of Pennsylvania. Little does Hope know, her family has kept a deep, dark secret from her that is anything but normal. When a single event changes Hope's life forever, will she finally learn the truth of her family's past? Room sequel
1. Hope's World

Hope's POV

Every morning at six o'clock, my alarm clock goes off, and I have an internal battle with myself. I don't want to get out of bed, but I know I have to. School starts at eight, and I have hair to brush, textbooks to gather, and breakfast to eat. But then again, my bed is so warm...

Before I can contemplate my options any longer, the door to my bedroom creaks open. My brother Gregory is standing in the doorway, with a steal bucket in his hands. Why on Earth is he holding a steal bucket?

"Hope, it's time to get up. I have to drive you to school, and mom will kill me if you're late. Get out of bed, or I'll have to poor this bucket of ice water all over you." Gregory tells me seriously.

Ice water? He can't be serious! The thought alone makes me shutter, so I decide not to question my older brother. I spring to my feet, and Gregory grins triumphantly.

"Wow. You got out of bed in record time. Maybe I should threaten you every morning until mom and dad get home." Gregory says with a smirk.

"Don't even dare." I say as my tone turns serious.

"Don't worry, I didn't." Gregory says before dropping the bucket, which does not have a single drop of ice water in it.

"You tricked me!" I exclaim furiously.

"Sorry, kid." Gregory says with a chuckle.

I want to be angry with Gregory, but I'm not. His trick got me out of bed, and I cannot be late to school today. I have a Biology test first period, and if I'm late, I'll lose time. I can't afford to lose time on the test because unfortunately I inherited my father's English brain. I don't mind when it comes to writing essays, but taking math and science tests are another story.

"Can you be downstairs in half an hour? I'm going to start making breakfast, and I know you hate cold eggs." Gregory says with a soft laugh.

"Yeah. I'll be ready. Just let me get my books together and throw on my uniform." I tell him.

Gregory nods before picking up the empty steal bucket, and closing the bedroom door behind him. As soon as my older brother is gone, I take off my nightgown, and walk over to my closet. Unfortunately, my school requires a uniform that consists of polo shirts and knee length skirts for girls. The only good thing about the uniform is that we get to pick out the colors of the skirts and pools. After thinking about my options for a minute, I decide to wear my white polo and navy skirt.

I put on my uniform and stare at my reflection in the full length mirror near my dresser. Even though I am fourteen and halfway through my freshman year of high school, my chest is completely flat. It's humiliating. Maybe if I was a size B or above, some of the boys at school would look at me like they look at my best friend Miranda Cavanaugh.

Miranda is literally perfect, and arguably the most attractive girl in my grade. No wonder guys are always throwing themselves at her. Even though I love my best friend and I'm happy that so many boys like her, sometimes I can't help but feel jealous. I wish that people would pay attention to me, and not to her for once.

I sigh before running a hair brush through the curly hair that I inherited from my father. Even though my mom always tells me that my hair is beautiful, I cannot stand it. Unlike Miranda's straight and glossy hair, mine cannot be tamed, and it's always flying all over the place. My mom is surely mistaken. How could messy hair possibly as pretty as straight hair?

"Hope, let's go!" Gregory says as he begins to knock on my bedroom door persistently.

My eyes dart over to my alarm clock, and I gasp when I realize that it's already six forty-five! How did I lose track of time? My eggs are probably colder than Antarctic at this point! I need to get on the good foot.

"Coming!" I shout before grabbing my backpack, and walking out of my bedroom door.

Line Break

Every time I drive with Gregory, he blasts explicit rap music that Mom would never let me listen to. Heck, Mom would probably have a stroke if she listened to one of Gregory's CDs. Luckily, Mom isn't here to chastise us for listening to inappropriate music. My dad had a conference in New York this week, and my mom decided to take a few days off work and go on a mini vacation.

My parents travel a lot since my father is an English professor, and my mother is a motivational speaker. Even though I always miss my parents when they're gone, I like when they go on trips because it means that Gregory gets to watch me until they get back! Last month Gregory turned twenty, and since he's busy finishing his sophomore year at The University of Pennsylvania, his visits are becoming shorter and less frequent. It really sucks because Gregory is my best friend in the entire world. I miss him a lot when he's gone, and that's probably why I love when he watches me.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Gregory asks as he turns the music down, so he can hear my response.

I smile when I remember that today is Friday. Friday usually means sleepover, chick flick, and sugar, with Miranda. Even though our Friday night tradition feels monotonous at times, I wouldn't want to spend the day any other way. I love hanging out with Miranda, even if we're just chilling in our PJ's while our mothers catch up on the latest Rosewood gossip in the other room.

"I don't know. Miranda will probably sleepover." I tell Gregory after thinking about it for a minute.

"I figured. Kennedy and I were planning on seeing a movie tonight. You two are more than welcome to join us." Gregory offers.

Gregory met Kennedy at his freshman orientation at The University of Pennsylvania. When Kennedy introduced herself to him, Gregory was so taken aback by her confidence and beauty that he spilt his coffee all over her. For some reason, Kennedy thought my brother was "adorable and charming", so she agreed to meet him for dinner that night. They've been dating ever since, and my parents think they're going to get married one day.

I hope they're right because even I know that Kennedy is special. She's so kind and compassionate, and I can tell that Gregory loves her immensely. Even though sharing Gregory with Kennedy sucks sometimes, I wouldn't mind having her as a sister-in-law.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun." I say with a smile.

"Good. It's a date." Gregory says with a warm smile.

I giggle as Gregory pulls into the back lot of Rosewood High School. I wish I didn't have to get out of the car. I was having so much fun with Gregory, and now I have to go and take a Biology test. That's definitely a mood killer.

"Good luck on the big test, Hope. I love you." Gregory says before grabbing my hand, and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks, Gregory. I love you too." I say before letting go of his hand, and hopping out of the car.

"Hope!" I hear a familiar voice say.

I turn around, and smile when I see Miranda running towards me with open arms. I embrace my best friend, and we both begin to laugh like maniacs. Even though I see Miranda everyday, I always get so excited when I see her in the morning.

"I have the biggest news of the century!" Miranda exclaims as she breaks the hug.

"What is it?" I ask her curiously.

"You know Olivia Quinn, right?" Miranda questions.

Everyone knows Olivia. She's the coolest girl in eleventh grade, and she's know for being ridiculously beautiful. Some people say she's even prettier than Miranda.

"Of course." I say with a nod.

"I just got invited to her party tonight! You know, the one everyone's been talking about all month? And that's not even the best part! Olivia told me I could bring a friend, and obviously I'm bringing you." Miranda says with a squeal.

I know I should be excited, but I'm not. If anything, I feel numb. I've never been to a high school party before, and the thought of going to the biggest party of the year makes me feel sick to my stomach. I have no idea what to wear, how to act, or even what to say to the cool upperclassmen. I'm not drop dead gorgeous like Miranda, and I'm definitely not as social as she is.

"Hope, what's wrong? Why don't you seem excited about this?" Miranda asks as her face begins to fall.

"I don't know. I guess parties aren't really my scene." I say, as a blush begins to form on my cheeks.

"So? We'll make them your scene." Miranda says with a shrug.

"I don't know, Miranda. Gregory and Kennedy are going to the movies tonight. Maybe I'll just crash their date instead." I say with a breathy sigh.

"No! You are not third wheeling with your brother and Kennedy! I don't care what you say, we are going to that party! Who knows? You might even get your first kiss tonight!" Miranda squeals.

My first kiss? That sounds... Exciting and terrifying at the same time. Miranda got her first kiss at the freshman dance. She told me it was gross at first, but after a while it got fun. I hope my first kiss is fun, and not gross like Miranda's was.

"Y-You think someone would want to kiss me?" I ask her skeptically.

"Hell ya! You're beautiful, Hope. Any guy in his right mind would want to kiss you!" Miranda exclaims.

"Then how come no one ever does?" I question.

"Because you're too quiet. It's not like a guy is just going to walk up and kiss you at school. You need to give him signs first." Miranda says with an eye roll.

"Signs?" I ask with confusion in my voice.

"Yeah! I'll show you how to do it tonight at the party! I heard Owen's going to be there, so I'm going to need you!" Miranda tells me seriously.

Owen Labrie is the golden boy of Rosewood High. He's a straight A student, the senior class president, and captain of the boy's soccer team. He applied to Harvard early decision, and got in at the beginning of the school year. It was the talk of the town for weeks! I hear all about Owen and his many accomplishments from Miranda. She's been crushing on him since the first day of freshman year, and ironically, he's the only boy in Rosewood who doesn't give her the time of day.

"Miranda, you need to get over Owen." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"Don't be such a downer! Tonight's the night, Hope! I'm going to make him fall for me. Just you watch." Miranda says with a cocky smile.

I know better than to challenge Miranda, so I give her a small nod. Part of me knows that she's probably right anyways.

"So are you in?" Miranda questions.

Maybe going to the party isn't such a bad idea after all. I can get my first kiss, and Miranda can get Owen. This will be a new adventure, and a new story to tell. But what if something goes wrong? My mom always tells me that parties are trouble, and the last thing I want is to get in trouble. Besides, it's not like my parents would ever let me go to a party with the upperclassmen.

Even though my parents are laid back with Gregory, they're ridiculously strict with me. Whenever I'm not home, my mom texts me frequently, and asks where I am and who I'm with. Last week, I stayed at Miranda's house an hour later than usual, and my mom called Spencer sobbing. According to Spencer, my mom was close to calling the police. When I got home that evening, my mom looked relieved. She hugged me, kissed me, and then screamed at me for half an hour straight.

My dad is surprisingly even worse than my mom. Earlier this year, I went for a run around the neighborhood by myself, and my dad found out about it. He asked me how I could be so stupid, and then went on to explain how dangerous running by yourself is. According to him, I could have been, "Raped, kidnapped, or worse." It took all of my willpower not to start laughing. Those things don't happen in Rosewood. The most dangerous person in this entire town is probably the seven year old on my street who has a tendency to bite the neighbors. I doubt she would be able to rape or kidnap me, so I think I'm safe.

"Hope?" Miranda asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry. I was just thinking that even if I wanted to go to the party, I probably wouldn't be able to. You know my parents. They're not cool like yours are." I say with a breathy sigh.

"But Hope, your parents are in New York! They don't even have to know about this! Just tell Gregory where you're going. I'm sure he'll be fine with it!" Miranda exclaims.

My relationship with Gregory is different. So different that Miranda, and even my parents, can't fully understand it. When I was a little girl, Gregory used to sneak into my room after my parents fell asleep. He'd stay with me all night, and promise that nothing bad would ever happen to me. If anyone ever gave me a hard time at school, Gregory wouldn't hesitate to beat them up, even though it caused trouble for him. He even turned down Stanford, his dream school, so he could stay close to me. Gregory has worked so hard to keep me safe, and I doubt he'd throw all that work away just so I could go to some stupid party with Miranda.

"No. Gregory wouldn't let me go either. He's even worse than my parents." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"So don't tell him." Miranda says with a shrug.

"W-What do you mean?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"Hope, Gregory is the sweetest thing, but that doesn't mean he knows what's best for you. Your brother thinks you're still a little girl, but you're not. You don't need him controlling your every move. Honestly, it's holding you back." Miranda says as her tone turns serious.

Part of me knows she's right. Gregory and my parents refuse to acknowledge that I'm growing up. They want me to stay a little girl, but I'm fourteen now. I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and to go to parties with Miranda. Aren't I?

"B-But what would I tell him?" I question.

"Just say we're sleeping over at a friends house. If he knows you're with me, Gregory won't worry." Miranda assures me.

"That's lying." I say with a breathy sigh.

"So? It's okay to lie if you have a really good reason. This is a great reason, Hope." Miranda tells me.

I want to believe Miranda, but I don't think I can. I have a bad feeling about lying to Gregory, and going to this party. We've always been honest with each other, and I don't know how I'll be able to look into his eyes after breaking the deep trust we've established. What if he finds out, and hates me for my decision? I don't think I could handle Gregory hating me...

"Miranda, this feels wrong..." I start to say.

"Hope, stop overthinking this! You're making a huge deal out of nothing, and it's really starting to piss me off." Miranda says as she crosses her arms over her chest.

I don't want to upset Miranda. She's my best friend, and she's always there when I need her. She needs me tonight, so I should go the party for her sake. That's what a good friend would do. But what would a good sister do? I never thought being a good friend to Miranda would conflict with being a good sister to Gregory.

For a minute, I forget about being a good friend or sister. What about what I want? Miranda and Gregory are always tell me what to do, and I'm tired of it. I want to go to the party tonight. Not because it will please Miranda, but because I want to have fun. Gregory can suck it up.

"I'm texting him now." I mutter before pulling out my cell-phone, and sending him a quick message.

Hey Gregory! Change of plans for tonight. Miranda and I are sleeping over at Rebecca's house.

-Hope

As soon as I send the text message, Miranda gives me a high five. I have to admit that this lying thing is kind of exciting. Seconds later my brother responds, and I immediately read the message.

Okay. Text me if you need anything. I love you.

-Gregory

Crap. Why does he have to be so nice all the time? I don't feel as excited as I did a few seconds ago. I just feel extremely guilty.

"Did he buy it?" Miranda asks me anxiously.

"Yup." I say with a fake smile.

Miranda squeals before enveloping me in a tight hug. I try to seem happy, but it's nearly an impossible task. I guess I'm not such a good liar after all.

Line Break

As soon as I get to Miranda's house, she drags me upstairs to her bedroom and starts pulling clothes out of her closet. I let out a prolonged sigh as I flop on her full-sized bed. Even though I like getting dressed up every once in a while, I don't usually enjoying going through closets, and spending hours on hair and makeup. I have a feeling that's what we're going to be doing today.

"What do you think of this?" Miranda asks as she pulls something out of her closet.

"Beautiful." I mutter as I stare up at her ceiling.

"Seriously, Hope! You're not even looking." Miranda says with an exasperated sigh.

I look up at the short black skirt that Miranda is holding, and give her a small nod of approval. The skirt is cute and flirty, and Miranda will look incredible in it. Owen will be all over her by the end of the night.

"I'm glad you like it, since you're wearing it tonight." Miranda says with a mischievous smile.

She can't be serious! Even though the skirt is adorable, I would never wear it to a party. It's much more risqué than the outfits I normally wear, and my father would have a stroke if he saw me wearing anything remotely similar to it! Then again, my father won't be at the party tonight. My father doesn't even know I'm going to the party...

"I don't know Miranda." I say with a breathy sigh.

"Come on, Hope! You're such a babe, and it will look amazing on you! I have the perfect top to go with it." Miranda says as she shoots me a pleading look.

I trust Miranda's fashion sense. Her style is on point, and she always looks like someone right off the cover of a magazine. Maybe I'll just go with it tonight.

"Okay. I'll try it." I mutter before grabbing the skirt, and sliding it over my legs.

Miranda squeals as soon as the skirt is on, and I immediately look in the mirror. I'm not usually confident in my appearance, but I have to admit that this looks good on me. I should take fashion advice from Miranda more often.

"Here. Put this on. But first, take off your bra." Miranda says as she hands me a flowery crop-top.

"W-Why?" I ask as I furrow my brow in confusion.

"Because we have to look mature if we're going to get with any upperclassmen tonight. You want to show off your boobs. Let them know what they're missing out on." Miranda explains.

"What boobs?" I ask as I raise an eye brow.

"Shut up, Hope. Your boobs might not be as developed as some other people's, but that doesn't mean they're not hot." Miranda says with an eye roll.

"Whatever." I say as I take off the new bra my mom bought me for Christmas, and pull the crop top over my head.

"You're a ten, Hope! Would you let me straighten your hair, and do your makeup?" Miranda asks me hopefully.

Usually I would say no, but I've already come so far. What's wrong with looking sexy and mature for one night? I'm fourteen after all. It's about time I start acting like a woman.

"Go for it." I say with an eager nod.

Line Break

By the time Miranda finished getting my hair and make-up done, even I have to admit that I look incredible! Dare I say, as cute as Miranda? Surprisingly, I feel more confident than I ever have in my entire life. Maybe that's why girls are so into make-up. It makes you feel like prettiest person in the world.

"Hope, you look so beautiful." Miranda says, as she stares at me in complete awe.

"Thanks, Miranda. You're the best friend in the world." I tell her truthfully.

Before my friend can respond, her bedroom door bursts open. A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I see Spencer standing in the doorway. What if she finds out we're going to a party, and calls my mom? I'll get sent home, and no one will get to see how pretty I look.

"Hi girls. How are you? Did you straighten your hair, Hope?" Spencer asks as her eyes grow wide with shock.

"M-Miranda did." I mutter as I avoid looking into Spencer's eyes.

"I'm guessing you two have plans tonight?" Spencer questions.

"Yeah. We're sleeping over at Rebecca's house." Miranda says, speaking up before I can blow our cover.

"You look way too dressed up to be going to Rebecca's house. Miranda, is there something you'd like to tell me?" Spencer asks her daughter suspiciously.

"Damn it Mom! You caught me." Miranda says with a breathy sigh.

What? Is Miranda telling her mom about the party? I can't believe she'd give up so easily!

"Language, Miranda. Now why don't you tell me the truth?" Spencer says as her tone turns serious.

"The truth is, Hope has a huge crush on Alice's older brother. She asked me to do her hair and make-up so she could impress him." Miranda says as she nudges me gently.

"Um yeah. That's it." I say, too shocked to think of anything believable to add on.

"Honey, you do know that Alice's brother is gay, don't you?" Spencer asks me gently.

"That's debatable!" Miranda exclaims.

"No it's not. He dressed as Madonna for Halloween last year..." Spencer starts to ramble.

"Well, Hope is pretty enough to turn him straight. Don't you think?" Miranda asks her mother.

"I don't think sexuality works that way, but if anyone is pretty enough to do it, it's definitely Hope. But why are you dressed up?" Spencer asks Miranda.

"Because it would look stupid if Hope was all dressed up, and I wasn't." Miranda explains.

"Girls, girls, girls. I don't know how Aria and I manage you two. Have fun at Alice's tonight, but if I find out there is drinking, I will ruin both of you. Is that clear?" Spencer asks as her tone turns serious.

"Drinking? I'm offended that you'd accuse me of being so irresponsible." Miranda says as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"No you're not, Miranda. Don't play innocent with me. I have to get to the Court House, but feel free to call me if you need anything." Spencer says before waving goodbye, and walking out of the bedroom.

As soon as Spencer is gone, Miranda and I burst into laughter. That was close. That was way too close.

"I can believe your mom fell for that!" I say through my laughter.

"She didn't. My mom knew we were going to a party. She just turned a blind eye." Miranda says with a giggle.

"W-What do you mean?" I ask as I furrow my brow in confusion.

"Our moms were huge partiers in high school, Hope. My mom knows exactly what we're up to, but she trusts us to make good decisions." Miranda explains.

"I wish my mom were more like yours. She'd never turn a blind eye like yours would." I say with a breathy sigh.

"Obviously. It's because..." Miranda says, before stopping mid sentence.

"What?" I question.

"Nothing." Miranda says as she shakes her head slowly.

Why do I get the feeling that Miranda is keeping something from me? Is there something I don't know about my mom? Maybe she was even more of a partier than Spencer, and that's why she's so protective of me. I don't want to interrogate Miranda though. I just want to enjoy my night.

"Come on! Let's go already!" I exclaim before grabbing Miranda's hand, and dragging her out of the bedroom.

AN: What did you think of the first chapter? Obviously Hope doesn't know about what happened to Aria before she was born. Why hasn't the family told her? Was that the right decision? What do you think of Hope, Miranda, and Gregory? Are they similar to how you imagined them being in the future after reading the end of Room? Should Hope be going to the party? Please review and tell me your thoughts on this story! Thanks for reading, and have a great day! I'll try to have the next chapter posted a week from today! Make sure you check out "Demons" and "Gone With The Wind." I just updated today!


	2. The Party Animal

Hope's POV

Before walking into the party, I felt beautiful. Like I was the most precious thing that had ever graced the presence of the earth. I was invincible. Or so I thought.

Now that I'm standing in Olivia's mansion, with the coolest upperclassmen in Rosewood, I feel just like I always do. Small, voiceless, and awkward. This was a bad idea. I wish I had gone with Gregory and Kennedy to the movies.

"Are you okay, Hope?" Miranda asks through the blasting music.

I don't feel okay, but I don't want to ruin Miranda's night. She's been looking forward to this party all day, and I'm her guest, so I have to play it cool. I nod my head slowly, and Miranda shoots me a wide smile.

At that moment, a tall girl with bleach blonde hair and crystal blue eyes walks by, and taps Miranda on the shoulder. Oh. My. God. It's Olivia Quinn. I feel as though there are a million butterflies floating around in my stomach. What do I say? How do I act? God, get me through this evening!

"Hey, Liv. Awesome party!" Miranda exclaims.

How does she do it? Why is Miranda so clam around everyone, especially Olivia Quinn? I wish I was as confident as Miranda. It would make everything so much easier.

"Thanks, Miranda. I'm glad you could make it. You must be Hope." Olivia says as she turns to face me.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you." I mutter as I avoid looking into the girl's beautiful blue eyes.

"Likewise. Did you two just get here? I'd be more than happy to hook you up with some tequila." Olivia says, with a mischievous smile.

"Jesus Christ, Olivia! I thought you'd never ask." Miranda says with a happy giggle.

W-what? I can't believe what I'm hearing. I didn't know Miranda was into drinking. Didn't Spencer just tell us not to drink? If my friend's mom finds out, we're both dead meat. But I can't say anything in front of Olivia, so I just follow the girls downstairs to the basement. When we arrive, there are about a dozen seniors sitting on the couch, and taking shots. I feel absolutely sick, and I haven't even drank anything yet.

"Wait here. I'll bring you both some beverages." Olivia says before hurrying over to the alcohol table, and leaving me alone with Miranda.

"Miranda, we shouldn't be doing this." I whisper to her.

"It's no big deal, Hope. I've done this plenty of times. You don't have to drink if you're not comfortable though." Miranda says, as her tone turns serious.

Part of me is terrified by the idea of drinking. What if I get drunk, and do something stupid? Miranda would have to call my brother, and he would KILL me. Then again, I could just have a little. I've heard drinking is a lot of fun, and isn't tonight about having fun? Miranda has my back, and she won't let anything bad happen to me.

"What the hell!" I say with a shrug.

Miranda starts to cheer, and Olivia comes back with three shot-glasses, and a bottle of tequila. I'm guessing that's for us to share. A nervous lump forms in my throat, but I quickly shake if off. Plenty of high school kids drink. This is normal. I'm not doing anything wrong.

"You seem a bit excited, Miranda." Olivia says with a smirk.

"I am excited! This is my little Hope's first time drinking!" Miranda says with a squeal.

Olivia gasps, and so do I. Did Miranda really have to tell Olivia that this is my first time? She's going to think I'm an immature freshman. How could my own best friend throw me under the bus like that?

"It's your first time? This is going to be so much fun! Congrats, Hope. You get to take the first shot." Olivia says as she hands Miranda a shot glass, and pours the alcohol into it. After that's taken care of, Miranda offers me the shot, and I just stare at it with a blank expression on my face.

"Come on, Hope! You'll love it! Just drink it quickly." Olivia instructs.

I sigh before taking the shot-glass from Miranda, and holding it up to my face. I count to three, before dumping the tequila down my throat. It burns a lot, but I'm too busy listening to Miranda and Olivia cheer to notice. I did it, and now the coolest girl in eleventh grade is cheering for me. I feel empowered.

"What did you think?" Miranda asks me curiously.

"That tequila tastes like shit." I say with a giggle.

"Does that mean it would kill you to have some more?" Olivia asks as she raises an eyebrow.

"Hell no!" I exclaim before grabbing the bottle from Olivia, and refilling my glass.

Line Break

Four shots later, and I'm feeling a little dizzy. Actually, I'm feeling REALLY dizzy. Surprisingly, I don't mind at all. It's not a bad feeling. I feel great. Better than I've felt in long, long time. I reach for the bottle of tequila, but Olivia grabs is before I can. What the hell?

"Hope, I think you've had enough." Olivia says, as her and Miranda start to giggle.

Even though they've taken as many shots as I have, the alcohol clearly isn't effecting them in the same way it's effecting me. Maybe it's because I'm smaller, and less experienced than they are.

"B-But what am I going to do now?" I ask, trying not to slur my words.

"Why don't you go upstairs, and dance with the other guests? Miranda and I are going to stay down here and drink some more, but you should go have fun!" Olivia exclaims.

Yeah. I should have fun. That's why I'm here. I give the girls an awkward wave, before stumbling up the stairs, and entering the mansion's living room. Music is blasting through the speakers, and everyone is dancing.

I smile before running over to the dance floor, where I begin to sway along to the music. Most people don't know that I love to dance. When I was in middle school, Miranda and I would make up dances with our friends, and film them for fun. We haven't made any new ones since high school started, but I sure miss it.

A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I realize that someone is behind me. I turn around, and nearly scream when I realize that it's Owen. Miranda's Owen. The coolest boy in twelfth grade, who also happens to be a genius. What is he doing here?

"Hey there, sexy. What's your name? Mine's Owen, but I'm guessing you already knew that." He says with a smirk.

Maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's the fact that the coolest boy in Rosewood is talking to me, but I feel confident. So confident, that it scares me. Miranda once told me that Owen likes confident girls, so I decide to act on this strange new feeling.

"I'm Hope, but I'm guessing you already knew that." I say as I raise an eye brow.

"I didn't, but it's sure nice to meet you, Hope. Dance with me." Owen says as he leans closer to me.

"Sorry, but I don't dance with cocky men." I say, pretending to be put-off by his attitude.

"What about men with big cocks? Do you dance with them?" Owen asks in a husky voice.

I'm completely taken aback by Owen's comment. How the hell am I supposed to respond to that? Before I can think of a decent comeback, I begin to giggle like a maniac. Owen is funny. Really, really funny.

"I'll take that as a yes." Owen mutters before pressing his crotch against me, and beginning to grind on my behind.

I've never danced like this with a guy before, so I have no idea what to do. I slowly begin to sway my hips, and Owen groans in response. It looks like I'm doing this right. This is hot. Super hot.

We grind for an entire song, and Miranda doesn't even cross my mind until her favorite song comes on. Maybe I shouldn't be doing this. Miranda has liked Owen since the beginning of the year, and I started liking him a song ago. But then again, Miranda can get any other guy in Rosewood. Owen is the only guy who's ever paid attention to me, so why shouldn't I have some fun? All's fair in love and war, right?

"You're beautiful, Hope. Absolutely beautiful." Owen whispers, as he begins to grind with a bit more force.

Before I can respond, I feel someone tap my shoulder. I turn around, and gasp when I see Miranda standing on the dance floor. To my surprised, she doesn't look angry. She looks... Hurt.

"Hope, come with me now." Miranda growls, as Owen pulls away from me.

"I'm busy." I say as I cross my arms over my chest.

"I can tell, but we really need to talk." Miranda says as her tone turns serious.

"Go with her, babe. I'll be right here when you're finished." Owen says as he winks at me playfully.

A blush forms on my cheeks, and Miranda drags me off the dance floor. Oh no. She's going to yell at me for dancing with Owen. What if she hits me? That wouldn't be fun.

"Hope, where are your shoes?" Miranda asks me curiously.

Where are my shoes? I think I took them off downstairs, but I can't remember.

"I don't know, why?" I ask with a giggle.

"Because you're drunk, and we need to get you home." Miranda says with an exasperated sigh.

Home? Why would I want to go home? Owen is paying attention to me, and I'm having the time of my life. Why does Miranda want to ruin my night?

"I-I don't want to go home Miranda. I'm having a lot of fun." I say as I begin to laugh hysterically.

"Hope, this isn't funny. You're not in the state to make important decisions, so being at a party isn't safe right now." Miranda tells me seriously.

"Yes it is." I argue.

"No, it's not. Hurry up and tell me where your shoes are, so we can leave." Miranda says, getting more and more impatient by the second.

All the sudden, I feel angry. So angry, that I could punch Miranda in the face. Where does she get the nerve to try and control me like this? She's no different from Gregory and my parents. Why does everyone treat me like I'm a puppet? Why can't they just let me be my own person?

"Shut up, Miranda. You're just jealous." I growl at my friend.

"Jealous? Of who? You?" Miranda asks as she gestures towards me.

"Obviously. You're angry that Owen was paying attention to me, and not you. You don't want anything to happen between us, so you're trying to get me away from him. Why can't you just accept that he's not interested in you?" I question.

"Hope, this isn't about Owen. This is about making sure that you get home safe." Miranda says, with a hurt expression in her voice.

"Bullshit." I say as I cross my arms over my chest.

"Jesus Christ, Hope! Don't you understand? Owen doesn't like you! He's an asshole who's trying to take advantage of you because you're drunk! Why are you being so stupid?" Miranda asks as she throws her hands into air.

"I'm not being stupid. You're being jealous." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"No I'm not! I'm telling you the truth! You're drunk, and you're a total innocent freshman. That's why he's into you, Hope. Not because he likes your personality, or because you're a sweet girl. He likes you because you're drunk!" Miranda says, as she begins to raise her voice.

"You're one to talk." I mutter.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Miranda asks, with confusion in her voice.

"Boys don't like you because of your personality. They like you because you're a slut, who will literally hook-up with anyone. Honestly, Miranda. How many guys have you kissed this month? Seven thousand?" I ask as I stare into her hazel eyes.

Miranda doesn't say anything. Instead, she breaks down in tears. Miranda never cries. I must have really struck a chord in her.

"See, even you know it's true." I say with a smirk.

"No, Hope. It's not true. I'm not crying because I think I'm a slut. I'm crying because my best friend thinks I'm one." Miranda says through her tears.

I feel terrible. I shouldn't have called Miranda a slut. That was mean. Really, really, mean.

"Miranda..." I start to ramble.

"Shut up, Hope. I don't want to talk to you anymore. Next time you decide to drink, don't call me because alcohol sure turns you into a bitch. Have fun with Owen." Miranda says before storming out of the room, and leaving me alone with dozens of strangers.

As soon as Miranda is out of sight, I begin to cry. I still can't believe I called my best friend a slut. I'm a terrible person who doesn't deserve Miranda, Gregory, my parents, or Owen. I deserve nothing.

"Hope?" I hear a familiar voice say.

I turn around, and see Owen standing there with a concerned expression on his face. I begin to cry even harder if that's humanly possible, and he rests a hand on my shoulder. I instinctually shiver at his soft touch.

"Are you okay?" He asks me softly.

"N-No." I say, as I begin to choke on my own tears.

"Sh-sh. Don't cry. Let's go somewhere quite, so we can talk about it." Owen suggests.

"O-Okay." I say with a sniffle.

Owen responds by grabbing my hand, and leading me out of the living room. To my surprise, Owen opens the front door of the house, and gently pushes me outside. Why are we leaving the party? I have a bad feeling about this.

"W-Where are we going?" I ask him nervously.

"My car. It's parked on this street. No one will bother us there." Owen assures me.

I guess this is okay. I take a step forward, and gasp when I hit the hard cement. Did I just trip on my own two feet? Owen helps me up, and the friendly gesture causes me to cry even harder. Why is he being so nice to me?

"How many drinks have you had tonight?" Owen asks me suddenly.

How many drinks have I had? Being in the basement with Olivia and Miranda seemed so long ago...

"I-I don't remember." I tell the boy.

Owen doesn't respond. Instead, he scoops me into his arms, and carries me off the driveway. How sweet. He's carrying me, so I don't fall again. Owen sure is a gentleman. He carries me for about five minutes, before stopping in front of a white BMW. I'm guessing this is his car. The senior opens the door, and sets me in the backseat. After I'm taken care of, he climbs in next to me.

"Hey there." Owen whispers before wrapping his arms around me, and pulling my body close to his.

"H-Hi." I say, feeling rather uncomfortable all the sudden.

"Do you know why I brought you here, Hope?" Owen asks me softly.

"S-So we could talk somewhere quiet." I say, in a barely audible whisper.

"Well, yes. But also because I think you're absolutely beautiful. You're prettier than any girl in this entire town." Owen says before leaning into me, and pressing his lips against mine.

Oh. My. God. I'm kissing Owen. I'm having my first kiss! What do I do? I begin to mimic the older boy's actions, and he suddenly thrusts his tongue down my throat. That was... Aggressive. All the sudden, Owen shifts us so that he's laying on top of me. What's going on?

"Do you like that, Princess?" Owen asks as he breaks the kiss.

I'm not sure. Owen is a rough kisser. I don't want to offend him though, so I nod my head slowly. Owen responds by kissing me again, and running his hands up and down my thigh. All the sudden, Owen's fingers are between my legs. He takes of my panties, and then starts to rub me down there. It feels good, but I really want him to stop.

"N-No." I tell him softly.

"No?" Owen asks as his eyes grow wide with shock.

"Let's keep it up here." I mutter, as I gesture towards the area above my hips.

"Okay." Owen says before moving his hands from my private region, and using them to lift off my crop-top.

I remember that I'm not wearing a bra, and a blush forms on my cheeks. I'm completely exposed to Owen. All the sudden, he bends down and bites my left breast. I yelp out in pain, and he chuckles a little.

"That felt good, didn't it?" Owen asks as his hands begin to roam my breasts.

"No." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"What about this?" Owen asks as he slides all the way down, and begins to lick my vagina.

"S-Stop. Please stop." I say, as I begin to sob.

Owen stops licking, so he can take off his shorts and boxers. I finally figure out where this is going. Owen wants me... Sexually. Miranda was right. He only talked to me because I was drunk.

After his clothes are off, Owen gets back on top of me. I know I should kick and scream, but I can't. I feel frozen. Before I can figure out what to do, I feel something tearing my vagina. It hurts so badly. I look up at Owen, and gasp when I realize that his hands are at my side. That couldn't have been his fingers. It was his penis. I just lost my virginity.

"No!" I say as I begin to cry even harder, if that's humanly possible.

Owen doesn't stop though. He keeps moving inside of me, while I shake in terror. I want him to stop. This isn't right. All the sudden Owen moans, and I feel warm liquid inside of me. Did he not use a condom? What if he gets me pregnant?

As I'm thinking this, Owen pulls out of me. I let out a long sigh of relief. It's over. It's finally over.

"Should I walk you back to the party?" Owen asks through his heavy breathing.

"N-no thank you." I say with a whimper.

"Sweet. Have a nice night, um..." Owen says, obviously trying to remember my name.

"Hope." I say through my tears.

"Right. See you around." Owen says as I climb out of his BMW, and try to keep myself from bursting into tears.

What did you think of this chapter? Were you surprised about what went down between Miranda and Hope? What did you think of the Owen and Hope scene? Will she tell anyone about what happened? How will it effect the family? By the way, I got a lot of reviews asking about little Aria. She is in the story, and will appear later. However, she is not Gregory's love interest. They have a brother/sister like relationship. Emily's daughter will also be in the story later for the person who was wondering. Thanks for reading, and please review :)


	3. Failure

Gregory's POV

As I kiss Kennedy in my old bed, I can't help but think to myself that her lips are the softest things I've ever encountered. Her skin is soft too, and so is her long brunette hair. How could someone be so beautiful? I never thought that this kind of perfection was possible, but Kennedy proves me wrong every time I see her.

"G-Gregory." Kennedy asks as she slowly breaks the kiss.

"What is it, sweetheart?" I ask her gently.

"Maybe we shouldn't be doing this here. Your sister could walk through the door at any moment." Kennedy says as her tone turns serious.

In theory, I know she's right. My little sister will probably be home within the next hour or two.

Whenever Hope tells me she's sleeping over at a friend's house, I know there is more than a fifty percent chance that she'll come home before dawn breaks. Hope has always been a home body, and she prefers her own bed to someone else's floor.

I know Kennedy and I should stop, but every bone in my body is aching for us to continue. If we do it fast enough, the chances of Hope walking in on us are slim to none. Then again, I thought the same thing last time I came home to watch Hope, and she walked in on a very intimate moment between me and my girlfriend. She was terrified to say the least, and I don't want to put my sister through that again. I respect her too much.

"Yeah. You're probably right." I say with a breathy sigh.

Kennedy giggles, before planting a soft kiss on my forehead. I blush, before pulling my girlfriend of two years even closer to me. Even though we can't do that, I'm glad she's here with me.

"I love you." Kennedy tells me softly.

"I love you too." I say with a slight smile.

And I do love Kennedy. More than she'll ever know. Kennedy is caring, compassionate, intelligent, kind, and beautiful, inside and out. Maybe that's why I want to marry her as soon as I graduate from college. Kind of...

The responsible part of me knows we should wait a few years. We're still young, and both of us plan on going to law school after we graduate, so settling down might not be the wisest decision. But we love each other, and I know she's the one. Shouldn't that be enough?

At times, I wish I was more like my father. Technically, he shouldn't have dated my mother, but he listened to his heart and risked everything for her. Why can't I just ignore the agitating voice in my head, and build up the courage to propose to Kennedy? I want to spend the rest of my life with her, so why can't I just let go of all my fears and uncertainties and be honest with her?

"What are you thinking about?" Kennedy asks as she cuddles closer to me.

"Nothing important." I mutter, as I avoid looking into her piercing green eyes.

Before she can respond, my cell-phone begins to buzz. It's probably my mother. Whenever I watch Hope, my mother calls me every hour or so to check up on her baby girl. My mom was protective of me growing up, but she's even more protective of Hope. Even though it drives everyone crazy, my mom's behavior is understandable considering everything she went through with Nick. Honestly, I'm lucky to have a mother who cares about me and my sister so much.

I reluctantly pull away from Kennedy, before reaching over to grab my phone from the nightstand. To my surprise, it isn't my mom. It's Hope. I bet she wants me to pick her up from Rebecca's house as soon as possible.

"Hello?" I ask as I answer the cell-phone.

To my surprise, I don't here my younger sister's sweet voice. All I hear is the sound of her sobbing hysterically on the other end of the line. What the hell is the matter? Are the girls at the sleepover being mean? Hope can be shy and sensitive at times, and as a result, her feelings get hurt quite often.

"Why are you crying? Is everything okay?" I ask my sister in a concerned tone.

"N-No." Hope says through her heavy sobs.

I begin to panic, as I start to think of all the things that can be wrong with my little sister. What if she's hurt?

"Hope, please tell me why you're so upset. Do you need me to pick you up?" I ask as my tone turns serious.

"I-I don't want to talk about it now, but yes. Please come pick me up as soon as you can." Hope says with a sniffle.

"Okay. I'll be at Rebecca's house in ten minutes." I say as I spring out of the bed.

"Gregory, I'm not at Rebecca's house. I'm at Olivia Quinn's house." Hope says as she begins to cry even harder, if that's humanly possible.

Olivia Quinn's older sister, Casey, was in my class at Rosewood High School. She was known for being wild, and throwing the biggest parties in town. I went to a few of them my senior year, and they were definitely crazy. Why would Hope be hanging out with Casey's sister? And that's when it hits me. Hope is at a party. A loud, exciting, and dangerous party.

"Tell me you're not at a party, Hope." I say, as I begin to raise my voice.

Hope doesn't respond. She just keeps crying, and absolute rage fills my body. What on Earth was my little sister thinking? Nothing good ever comes out of parties, especially when you're an innocent fourteen year-old girl. To make matters worse, Hope lied to me. We're always honest with each other, and I'm hurt that she tried to keep this from me. Nevertheless, Hope is still my sister, and she obviously needs me. I can yell at her for being so stupid later.

"I'm on my way. Just meet me in front of the house." I say before hanging up the phone, and letting out a prolonged sigh.

"What is it?" Kennedy asks me gently.

"It's Hope. I just found out that she's at some party, and I need to pick her up." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"A party? That doesn't sound like Hope. Do you want me to come with you?" Kennedy asks me curiously.

"No. Hope seems really upset, and she's probably going to need my undivided attention. Thanks for offering though." I say as I take a piece of Kennedy's hair, and tuck it behind her left ear.

"Yeah. No problem. I should probably get back to Philadelphia, but I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Kennedy asks as she grabs her black purse.

"Please do." I say before pulling my girlfriend in for a long hug, and pressing my lips against hers.

"Bye, Gregory." Kennedy says as she breaks the kiss, and begins to walk towards the door.

"Bye, Kennedy." I say, as I watch her leave my old bedroom.

Line Break

When I pull up to the party, I see a girl Hope's age throwing up in a bush, while her friend holds back her hair. Jesus Christ. This party might be even worse than the ones I went to. I look up, and see my younger sister sprinting towards the car. Her make-up is completely smudged, and she's obviously been crying. What the hell happened, and where is Miranda?

"T-Thanks for picking me up." Hope says as she climbs into the front seat.

"No problem. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" I ask my sister softly.

"No." Hope says as she shakes her head vigorously.

"Why not? You always talk to me, Hope." I say with a hurt expression in my voice.

"Not this time." Hope says as she begins to sob even harder, if that's humanly possible.

"Why not?" I question.

"Because it's... Awkward." Hope says with a sniffle.

Awkward? What is she talking about? Maybe Hope had too much to drink, and is embarrassed? What could possibly be so bad that she can't talk to me about it?

"Hope, please just talk to me. I promise I won't judge you. Whatever it is, I love you." I say as I grab my sister's hand, and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Gregory... I think I had sex." Hope says as she begins to hyperventilate.

I do not believe what I am hearing. Hope had sex? No. This can't be true. She's only fourteen, and last I checked she hadn't even kissed a boy. No. My baby sister did not have sex. It's not possible. This is a lie.

"What do you mean you think you had sex?" I ask, as I begin to raise my voice.

"I-I didn't want to. I'm so sorry." Hope says through her tears.

She didn't want to have sex, but she did it anyway? Could Hope have been raped?

"Hope... Did someone hurt you? Did a boy make you do something you weren't ready for?" I ask, as tears begin to form in my eyes.

Hope doesn't respond. She just continues to sob even harder, and I immediately wrap my arms around her shaking body. I begin to rock Hope back and forth, just like I used to do when she was a little baby. I need her to calm down, so she can tell me what happened. As soon as I find out who did this to her, I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him with my bear hands, and I won't lose a minute of sleep over it.

"Hope, just talk to me. Tell me what happened." I say, as my voice begins to soften.

"I-I was dancing with this boy and Miranda and I got into a huge fight over it. She left, and I got really upset. The guy offered to take me to his car so we could talk about it, and then he started kissing me. I kissed him back, and he started to get more aggressive. He took of my panties, and then I felt him there..." Hope says, breaking down before she can finish her sentence.

Oh my God. Hope really was raped. My baby sister. The one I was supposed to be taking care of. How did I let this happen? I can feel my heart breaking in my chest because my worst nightmare is coming true.

"Hope, have you been drinking?" I ask her seriously.

Hope doesn't respond, and she avoids looking into my blue eyes. She's definitely hiding something.

"Hope?" I ask, with a bit more force.

"Y-Yes." Hope says, with shame in her voice.

"And he knew you were drunk? Did you tell him no?" I ask as I rest a hand on my sister's shoulder.

"I told him no three times." Hope says with a whimper.

I don't have the strength to respond, so I step on the gas and get on the dusty road. My paternal instincts kick in, and I realize that my only job in the world right now is to take care of Hope. I need to get her to a doctor. The asshole who did this might have seriously hurt her.

"W-Where are going?" Hope asks through her tears.

"To the hospital." I tell her flatly.

"W-why are we going there?" Hope asks, with confusion in her voice.

"Because you were raped." I say, as I focus my attention on the road.

"W-what? Are you sure?" Hope asks, as her eyes grow wide with shock.

"You'd been drinking, and you told him no three times?" I question.

"Y-Yes, but I didn't fight him or anything. I was too afraid..." My sister starts to ramble.

"It doesn't matter. You said no, and that should have been enough." I tell my sister, as I slam on the gas.

Line Break

Hope and I sit in a private waiting room in the hospital, while we wait for the nurse to give us further instructions. I hold Hope in my arms, while she sobs softly. To say she's afraid is an understatement. I don't think I've ever seen my baby sister this upset in the fourteen years I've known her.

After a few minutes of waiting, a young female nurse comes into the private waiting room, and ushers us into an examination room. When we arrive in the hospital room, a doctor in his early thirties is waiting for us. This cannot be the man who is taking care of Hope! First of all, he looks way too young to be a doctor. I want someone more experienced to take care of my sister. To make matters worse, he's a man. Hope won't feel comfortable with a man doing medical examinations on her. She's just been assaulted for crying out loud!

"Hello, my name is Dr. Robinson. I'm guessing you're Hope?" The man asks as he stares into my sister's tear-filled hazel eyes.

"Can we get another doctor? Preferably a female." I ask, before Hope can answer the question.

"I'm sorry Sir, but a female doctor won't be available to work with her for another hour. Would you rather wait?" Dr. Robinson asks.

I don't want to wait. Hope's had a traumatic night, and I want to get her home as soon as possible. The sooner we get through this, the better.

"No. It's fine. Let's just get started." I grumble, making no attempt to mask my irritation.

"Alrighty then. Hope, why don't you take a seat?" Dr. Robison asks as he gestures towards the examination table.

Hope nods, before walking over to the examination table, and taking a seat. I stand next to Hope, and keep a tight grasp on her trembling hand. I wish I could take my sister home, and tuck her into her warm bed, but I obviously can't. I have to make sure she's okay before I take her anywhere.

"Hope, we have two important things to get through tonight. First, we're going to perform a rape-kit on you. This is a forensic examination, that will help us gather important evidence to give to detectives. After we finish that, I'm going to give you a medical examination. Your body has been through a lot of trauma tonight, and we have to make sure that you're not sustaining any major injuries. It's also important that we check for any STD's, or infections that your attacker might have given you." Dr. Robison tells my sister gently.

Hope nods, and begins to sob even harder if that's humanly possible. I feel like crying too. Why should Hope have to go through all of this, when she didn't do anything wrong? It isn't fair!

"Any questions?" Dr. Robison asks her.

"C-Can my brother stay with me?" Hope asks with a sniffle.

"He's welcome to stay, but this is a pelvic examination. You're going to be naked." Dr. Robison says as he clear his throat.

When Hope was a little girl, she ran around our house completely naked all the time. When she turned twelve, Hope abandoned some of her old habits. Instead of walking around naked at night, she started wearing pajamas, and changing behind closed doors. One night I walked in on Hope taking off her clothes, and realized that she wasn't a little girl anymore. Her body was starting to develop, and become more woman-like. I haven't seen Hope naked since that incident occurred, and I always make sure to knock before entering her bedroom. I don't want to see my sister so exposed... It's weird.

"Can you please stay with me, Gregory?" Hope asks through her tears.

Even though this will be extremely uncomfortable for both of us, I know I can't leave Hope when she's in such a vulnerable state. I'll just focus on her face, and avoid looking at the private parts of her body.

"Yes. Of course I'll stay." I assure her.

"Why don't you undress and hand me the clothes you're wearing. We're going to hand them over to the Rosewood PD." Dr. Robison instructs.

Hope lets out a breathy sigh, and I turn my head to give her privacy. After about a minute, Dr. Robinson speaks up.

"Hope, I don't see a bra." I hear him say.

"I wasn't wearing one." Hope says softly.

I shutter involuntarily. That isn't going to look good for her case. Why the hell didn't my sister wear a bra to the party? I still don't even know why my sister went to the party in the first place...

"Okay. Now that we have your clothes, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Dr. Robison asks.

"I guess not." Hope says as she shakes her head slowly.

"Have you been intimate within the last week? You know, other than the rape?" Dr. Robison questions.

"N-No. This was my first time." Hope says with a whimper.

The simple sentence almost causes me to burst into tears right in front of Hope and Dr. Robison. I remember my first time. It was with Kennedy in her dorm room freshman year, and it was honestly the best moment of my life. I was so in love with Kennedy, and I wouldn't change anything about that night. It makes me sick that Hope's first time was with a rapist, instead of with a boy who loved her like she deserves to be loved.

"Did you engage in oral sex tonight?" Dr. Robison asks Hope.

"Um, yes. I didn't want him to though..." Hope says, as her cheeks turn bright pink.

"So he performed oral sex on you?" Dr. Robison asks, cutting Hope off mid-sentence.

"Yes." Hope says, as she begins to choke on her own tears.

"Was he violent with you? Did he strike you, or do anything other than the act of sex that could have potentially hurt your body?" Dr. Robison questions.

"H-He bit my breast. It hurt a lot." Hope says with a sniffle.

I can't sit by, and listen to this any longer. It's too much. If I don't get out of here, I'll lose my mind.

"I have to go." I mutter before letting go of Hope's hand, and rushing towards the door.

"Gregory!" Hope exclaims helplessly.

"I'm sorry." I say as I leave the examination room, and close the door behind me.

As soon as I'm out of that terrible room, I crawl to my knees and begin to weep shamelessly. My mind begins to wander back to when I was five years old, and had to watch a monster rape my mother. It hurt her so much, and now my baby sister is hurt. The two people I care about most in the world have been violated in the worst way possible. I hate Nick for hurting my mom, and I hate the asshole who raped Hope, and took her virginity. Above all, I hate myself. Why wasn't I there for my sister tonight? She needed me, and I didn't keep her safe. I failed the baby girl I promised to always protect.

AN: What did you think of this chapter? Is this how you imagined grown up Gregory? How will what happened to Hope effect him? Do you like Gregory and Kennedy? Do you like Hope and Gregory's relationship? Should he have run out on her? Please review and tell me your thoughts :)


	4. Back To Rosewood

Aria's POV

"Higher, Mommy! Push me higher!" My five year-old daughter Hope squeals, as the swing she's sitting on begins to drop.

I don't know if I should push Hope higher. If I do, she might fall and hurt herself. I don't want Hope to get hurt... It's my absolute worst nightmare.

"Honey, let's go play with Gregory and Daddy." I suggest as I grab the swing by its chains, so it will stop moving up and down.

"Okay, Mommy!" Hope exclaims before jumping off the swings, and running over to the grass field, where my husband and eleven year old son are playing catch.

Gregory immediately sighs when he sees Hope. Even though he loves his little sister, I can tell the fifth grader wants some alone time with his father. I don't blame him. Gregory spent the first five years of his life away from Ezra, and part of me thinks he still hasn't gotten over the shock of actually having a father.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Hope shouts as she sprints to Ezra, and holds her arms out as wide as they can go.

"Hi there, princess. What are you doing here?" Ezra asks as he scoops the little girl into his arms, and offers her a soft kiss on the forehead.

"I want to pwway with you, Daddy." Hope says with an adorable little giggle.

Ezra chuckles before putting the five year-old down, and walking a few feet away from her. Next, Ezra grabs the football and tosses it softly. Hope holds her arms out, but misses the football completely. Gregory laughs a little, and I immediately shake my head, hoping he won't make his sister feel badly.

"I'm bad at pwaying catch, Daddy." Hope says, as her chin begins to quiver.

"No-No you're not. All you have to do is keep your eye on the football. I'll throw the ball again, and you'll watch it until it's in your arms. Understand?" Ezra asks, as he grabs the ball.

Hope nods, and Ezra throws the ball even softer than he did the first time. Hope does what her daddy says, and watches the football until she catches it cleanly. Hope begins to squeal in excitement, and run around like a little maniac. She's too adorable to resist, so I quickly grab my phone, and snap a picture of my beautiful daughter...

"Aria! Earth to Aria!" My husband exclaims as he takes a seat next to me on the king sized bed in our temporary hotel room.

"Sorry." I mutter before looking up from the photograph, and focusing my attention on the love of my life.

"You seem a little distracted. What were you looking at?" Ezra asks me curiously.

"Just this old picture of Hope." I say before handing Ezra the picture.

Ezra's lips curl into a smile, as he stares at the picture of our baby girl. After a few minutes of admiring our daughter, he puts the picture down, and wraps his muscular arms around me. Even after all of these years, I still feel sparks when Ezra holds me like he's doing now. I feel so safe and loved when I'm with him.

"She's beautiful, Aria. Just like her Momma." Ezra says before planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Hope was so small when we took that picture of her." I say with a long sigh.

"No need to start reminiscing, Aria. In case you're forgetting, Hope's still incredibly small. She takes after you in that department." Ezra says with a playful smirk.

"Shut up. You know what I mean." I say as I punch my husband softly.

"I do indeed. Hope's growing up way too fast, and so is Gregory. Speaking of our little squirts, do you miss them?" Ezra asks me curiously.

"Of course I miss them." I say as I cross my arms over my chest.

"I miss them too, but I'm glad we have some time to ourselves." Ezra says with a mischievous smile.

"Oh really? Why is that, Mr. Fitz?" I ask with a smirk.

"Because we can do this." Ezra mutters before leaning closer to me, and pressing his lips against mine.

I moan, and Ezra continues to kiss me passionately. Yeah. I'm definitely glad we're alone right now...

"And this." Ezra says as he breaks the kiss, and squeezes my ass playfully.

"What about this?" I ask as I pull away from Ezra, and take off the over-sized t-shirt I've been wearing.

"Oh yeah. That's wonderful." Ezra mutters as his breathe hitches in his throat.

Before I can respond, my cell phone begins to ring. Who the hell is calling me this late at night? It's midnight, and people should assume that I'm either asleep or spending quality time with my husband.

"Damn it." Ezra says with a disappointed sigh.

"It's okay. We'll let it go to voicemail." I say as I lean into my husband, and attack him with my lips.

We continue to kiss, and eventually the call goes to voicemail. Thank God. Or not... Less than five seconds later the person calls back. Maybe I should answer the phone. Whoever is calling seems persistent, so it must be somewhat important.

"Ezra, I should get that." I say as I reluctantly pull away from him.

"Seriously?" Ezra asks with a breathy sigh.

"Yes. It could be important." I say as I pick up my cell phone, and realize that Gregory is the person calling me. What does he want this late at night? I hope everything is okay back in Rosewood...

"Hello?" I ask as I pick up the phone.

"M-Mommy..." I hear Gregory say through his heavy sobs.

Mommy? Even though we're extremely close, my son hasn't called me that since his twelfth birthday. What on Earth is the matter? Could he be having problems with Kennedy? Maybe he's nervous about something?

"Honey, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" I ask as my voice begins to soften.

"N-No. It's not okay." Gregory says through his tears.

Now I'm starting to get nervous. Gregory is just like Ezra. They always try to put on a brave face for me. If Gregory says that something is wrong, it must be really wrong.

"You're scaring me. Are you safe? Is Hope..." I start to ramble.

"No. Hope got hurt tonight. She got really, really, really hurt..." Gregory says as he begins to cry even harder, if that's humanly possible.

"What happened?" I ask, with panic in my voice.

"Someone raped her." Gregory says in a barely audible whisper.

W-What? I try to process this, but I can't. H-Hope? My little Hope? No? This isn't real. Gregory is just playing a joke on me. A terribly cruel joke.

"Hope told me she was sleeping over at Rebecca's house, but she went to a huge party instead. A senior completely took advantage of her. I'm so sorry Mommy." Gregory says as he begins to choke on his own tears.

"C-Can I please speak with Hope?" I ask, as tears begin to pour out of my eyes.

"No. They're doing a rape kit on her right now..." Gregory starts to ramble.

"And she's alone?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"Yes. She wanted me to stay in the room with her, but I couldn't take it. I kept thinking of you." Gregory says as he begins to hyperventilate.

This isn't the Gregory I know. My Gregory would have stayed in the room with his little sister, and held her hand through the entire process. That's how I raised him, and that is who he is. How could he abandon Hope at a time like this? What happened to the little boy who used to hold my hand when I couldn't sleep, and hug me after a nightmare that seemed all to real?

"Gregory, I need you to listen to me. Go back into that room, and stay with Hope while they collect all the evidence. Do you understand me? Do not let her out of your sight!" I say, practically screaming at my son on the other end of the line.

"B-But..." Gregory starts to ramble.

"But nothing! Hope is your baby sister. You have to be there for her. Your father and I will meet you at the hospital." I say, as tears begin to spill out of my hazel eyes.

"Okay." Gregory mutters before hanging up the phone, and leaving me with thousands of unanswered questions.

As soon as I put my phone back on the nightstand, I burst into tears. How the hell did this happen? Gregory had to grow up extremely fast due to our circumstances, but Hope? Hope was supposed to be our ray of hope. All of us wanted to shelter her for as long as possible, and protect her from all the evils in the world. This wasn't supposed to happen to my baby girl! It's not fair!

"Aria, what's going on? Please just tell me. I'm getting nervous." Ezra says as he rests a hand on my shoulder.

I take a good look at my husband. Moments ago, he was overjoyed to be enjoying a weekend away with me. Now he's apprehensive, and in a few moments, his life with change forever. What did we deserve to do this? Why is it always one problem after another for us? For our precious children?

"It's Hope. Someone raped her." I say, as I avoid looking into my husband's blue eyes.

"O-Oh my God." Ezra says as his voice begins to tremble.

I finally build up the courage to look at my husband's face. He looks the same as he did the night I opened up to him about what happened to me in that room. He seems hurt, angry, and confused all at the same time. Even though I'm upset, Ezra is probably even more sad than I am. Both his wife and his daughter have been victimized at the hands of another man, and there's nothing he can do to change it.

"E-Ezra..." I start to say.

"Who the fuck did this to her? I'm going to KILL him, Aria.I swear to God!" Ezra says, as he begins to raise his voice.

"I-I don't know who did this to our baby, Ezra. I don't even know the full story." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"Well, we're going to get the full story. We're going to ask Hope what happened, and then we're going to go after that son of a bitch!" Ezra says, practically screaming.

"Ezra, no." I say, as I rest a hand on my husband's shoulder.

"No?" Ezra asks as his eyes grow wide with shock.

"We have to make sure that our daughter is okay, before we start lighting the torches. Hope is probably still in shock, and all of us need time to process this. We're going to go to the hospital, and make sure that she's stable physically and emotionally. She can tell us what happened in the morning, if she's feeling up to it. We have to be patient with her, Ezra. Rape isn't an easy thing to deal with. Especially when you're a fourteen year-old girl, who hadn't even had her first kiss..." I say as I begin to cry so hard, that I'm physically shaking.

Ezra begins to cry even harder, as he pulls me close to him, and begins to stroke my long hair. He doesn't say anything for a moment. Instead, he holds me in his arms, and rocks me gently, as though I'm a small child who needs to be comforted. I do need to be comforted. This is so difficult.

"Sh-sh. It's going to be okay." Ezra whispers into my ear.

"B-But that's the thing. It's NOT going to be okay. You have no idea how hard it is, Ezra. Do you know how many nightmares she's going to have over this? How many times she'll cry herself to sleep because she feels so violated? Hell, it might take her years to open up to another guy! She might never be able to fully trust anyone ever again." I say, as I begin to raise my voice.

"Jesus Christ, Aria! Don't think that way! Hope is going to be fine. She's a fighter, and she has us to help her through this." Ezra argues.

"How am I supposed to help her through something like this, Ezra? We haven't even told her about Nick, the room, or anything that happened before she was born! I won't be able to talk to her about it because I'll start crying, and it will be so damn hard for me to stop!" I say, practically screaming.

"So we tell her once we get back to Rosewood. She'll understand why we kept the truth about the past from her, Aria." Ezra says, trying to calm me down.

"No! She's dealing with enough! Do you honestly think we need to dump all of that on her too?" I question.

"Aria... I don't know. I just don't know. We don't have to worry about that right now though. Like you said earlier, the only thing we have to worry about tonight is making sure that our daughter is okay. Let's drive back to Rosewood, and see her. We don't even know what happened." Ezra says with a breathy sigh.

I nod my head slowly, and Ezra offers me a soft kiss on the forehead. I know he's right. We have to get to Rosewood, as soon as possible. The only thing that matters right now is our hazel-eyed baby girl.

Line Break

After a three hour car ride from New York City, my husband and I finally arrive at the Rosewood Memorial Hospital. We sprint up to the front desk, and my husband immediately begins to speak.

"We're looking for our daughter. Hope Fitzgerald." Ezra says through his heavy breathing.

"Are you her parents?" The woman working the desk asks us seriously.

"Yes. We came all the way from New York. Please just tell us where she is." Ezra says, practically begging.

The woman nods, before typing something into her computer. After a few seconds of scrolling, she finally speaks up.

"Your daughter is in the ER. Second floor, room 209." The woman tells us softly.

"Thank you!" Ezra exclaims before grabbing my hand, and hurrying us up the flight of stairs.

Once we get to room 209, my husband doesn't hesitate to barge in, without knocking or asking questions. My heart stops when I see Hope laying on the hospital bed, with tears pouring out of her hazel eyes. Hope's eye makeup is completely smudged, and she honestly looks broken. Gregory, who is holding her hand, looks even worse. My son seems like he's had all the life sucked out of him in a single night. I know exactly how he feels.

"M-Mommy!" Hope exclaims.

"Hope!" I exclaim before sprinting to my daughter, and wrapping my arms around her lovingly. I begin to kiss her forehead repeatedly, and silently thank God that she's here with me, and not with the asshole who hurt her.

"Let's give Hope some time with her mother." Ezra says before gesturing towards the door. My son and my husband exit the hospital room, leaving me alone with my daughter.

"Mommy, he hurt me..." Hope says as she begins cry even harder.

"Sh-sh. I know, honey. I know someone hurt you. It's going to be okay though. We don't have to talk about it tonight if you're too tired and upset. Let's just focus on making sure you're healthy, and then getting you home. We'll deal with everything in the morning, or whenever you feel like opening up to me." I say as I stare into my daughter's hazel eyes.

"It hurts." Hope says through her heavy sobs.

"What hurts?" I ask her gently.

"Everything." Hope says, as her voice begins to tremble.

"I know, baby. Trust me, I know." I say with a breathy sigh.

"B-But that's the thing. You don't know." Hope says as she shakes her head slowly.

She's wrong. I do know. I probably know even better than she does. Hope doesn't need to know that though. I can tell her my story another time, when she's not so upset. This isn't about me, or what I went through with Nick. It's about Hope, and what happened to her tonight. That's the only thing that matters in the entire world.

"You're right. I don't know how you're feeling. All I know is that I love you, and that you're going to be okay." I say, as I try hold back tears.

Hope doesn't say anything else. Instead, she buries her face in my chest, and continues to sob. I begin to stroke the girl's curly brunette hair, and hum to her softly. I close my eyes, and pretend that Hope is five years old again. She fell of the swing set, and broke her arm. That's why she's crying. Her bone broke, but her heart is fine. Except that it's not...

"Hope, who did this to you?" I ask, in a shaky voice.

At first, Hope doesn't respond. She sighs, and begins to shake her head vigorously. Maybe she's not ready to talk. That's okay. I'm not going to push her tonight.

"I don't know who did it. The room was dark, and I couldn't see anything." Hope finally spits out.

"So someone just... Attacked you?" I ask, as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"Yes. I didn't even see the person's face, or hear their voice." Hope mutters.

This is worse than I thought. How are we going to catch the person who did this, if Hope didn't even hear his voice? What if he gets away with hurting my little girl?

"It's okay. We'll figure out who did this to you. The police probably already have his DNA in their system..." I start to ramble.

"When can I go home?" Hope asks me suddenly.

"Soon, baby. I'll have Daddy talk to your doctors, okay?" I ask her gently.

Hope nods, before closing her eyes and curling up against my side. This is going to be a long night for all of us.

AN: What did you think of this chapter? Do you like Aria and Hope's bond? How will this effect Aria? Why did Hope lie to Aria about what happened? Please review and tell me your thoughts! I'm going to start updating every Thursday, so make sure to look for my updates :)

Side Note: Two guests have left me reviews regarding Hope and Gregory's relationship. Just so everyone is clear, there will NOT be incest in this story. If I have made it seem like Gregory and Hopes relationship is unhealthy in anyway, I apologize. The reason I included that scene with Gregory in the room during the tests was because one of my best friends was raped this summer, and her Dad was the only person at the hospital. Even though she felt uncomfortable with her dad seeing her naked, she really didn't want to be alone, and that's how Hope was feeling towards Gregory. To be honest, I was a bit concerned too when I saw the reviews that asked for Hope and Gregory to be in a relationship too. Honestly I just assumed that people were confused and didn't realize that they were siblings, or they meant it in a different way somehow. Now that I have that cleared up, I hope everyone is comfortable reading this again. Thanks for your support!


	5. Home

Ezra's POV

Gregory and I don't say a word as we sit in the waiting room of the hospital room. This all seems surreal to me. Almost like I'm living a nightmare, that I desperately wish I could wake up from. Hope. My little girl. The one who is a spitting image of Aria, and loved to play princess and dress up as a child. Who am I kidding? She still is a child! Hope is fourteen years old for crying out loud. Who would hurt an innocent fourteen year old girl? I don't know the answer to that question. All I know is that I feel sick. Absolutely and utterly sick to my stomach.

I glance up when the door to Hope's hospital room bursts open. I see Aria standing in the doorway without our little girl. Maybe she is still resting in her hospital bed. The doctors told me she could be here a while, depending on the severity of her injuries.

"How is she?" I ask, as I spring to my feet.

Aria sighs, and shakes her head slowly. My poor wife looks as though she has aged fifty years within the past few hours. I cannot imagine how difficult all of this must be for her. I wish I could take all the pain for both of my girls, but once again, I cannot do anything to fix the situation. I am helpless.

"It's going to be okay." I mutter, before springing to my feet, and enveloping my wife in a ginormous hug.

"I'm so sorry, Ezra." Aria says, as tears begin to pour out of her hazel eyes.

"Stop. You have nothing to be sorry for." I tell my wife truthfully.

"Dad is right. I am the one who should be apologizing." Gregory says, speaking up for the first time since our arrival.

"What?" Aria asks, with confusion in her voice.

"Mom, I was in charge of watching Hope while you were away. I should have been there to protect her, but I wasn't. I failed. I let that monster hurt my baby sister..." Gregory says, as he begins to hyperventilate.

I feel for Gregory because I know exactly how he feels. The most important person in his life got hurt, and he wishes he could have done something to prevent it from happening. I felt the same way when Nick hurt Aria, and I feel the same way tonight. Gregory shouldn't have to take responsibility for this though. He did not know Hope was going to a party, and he had know way of knowing about the events that were going to unfold.

"Gregory, please don't say that. This sucks, but it wasn't your fault. You didn't make Hope go to the party, and you certainly didn't rape her, so enough! Stop punishing yourself for this. Trust me, this is going to be hard enough without you putting the blame on yourself." I say, with a breathy sigh.

"He's right, Gregory. You couldn't have stopped this from happening. We don't blame you, and neither does Hope." Aria says, before wrapping her arms around our son, and pulling him close to her.

Aria's touch causes Gregory to burst into tears. For a minute, I mistake Gregory for the five year old boy he was when I first met him. Sometimes I forget that he's practically an adult. Still, this must be terrible for him. Aria senses his pain because she begins to stroke his curls, and whisper words I cannot make out into his ear. Even though Gregory and I are extremely close, the bond he has with Aria is untouchable. Sometimes I feel like I am the third wheel when I'm around my wife and son. They went though so much together, and it shows during moments like these.

Before I can intervene, Hope's doctor walks into the room. Maybe he can finally tell us what is going on with our daughter. Hopefully he'll let us take her home tonight.

"I'm guessing you're Hope's immediate family? My name is Dr. Stein. Do you mind if I take a seat so I can tell you about Hope?" Dr. Stein asks, as he gestures towards the empty chair next to my wife.

"Yes. Absolutely." Aria says with a nod.

The older man takes a seat next to Aria, and lets out a long sigh. This can't be good. Sighs are never good.

"Is everything okay, Doctor?" I ask, with panic in my voice.

"The good news is that Hope isn't sustaining any major injuries. We didn't find any sexually transmitted diseases, and there isn't damage to any of her major organs." Dr. Stein informs us.

"So what's the bad news?" Aria asks in a shaky voice.

"The bad news is that there were tears in Hope's vagina that are consistent with rape. Your daughter's story is legitimate. She was sexually assaulted." Dr. Stein tells us gently.

Hope would never lie about something like this, but hearing Dr. Stein say it out loud makes this seem so much more real. Aria begins to wail, and Gregory buries his face in his hands. I rub Aria's back gently, in hopes of consoling her.

"We collected her attacker's semen, and we will hand it over to the Rosewood PD as soon as possible. I'm assuming you will be pressing charges? If so, Hope will need to go to the police station tomorrow morning to give her statement." Dr. Stein says, looking directly at me.

"Yes. We will be pressing charges against whoever did this to our daughter. I will bring Hope to the station in the morning." I say through my gritted teeth.

"Ezra, I think we should talk to Hope before we agree to this." Aria says as she stares into my blue eyes.

"What is there to agree on? Our daughter was assaulted, Aria! We're going to make sure that whoever hurt her goes to prison. It's the right thing to do!" I say, as I begin to raise my voice.

"Okay. We'll talk to Hope about it. Can we take her home? I'm sure she'd feel much more comfortable in her own bed than in that hospital room." Aria tells Dr. Stein.

"Yes. You'll need to sign her release forms, but it should be okay to take Hope home." Dr. Stein says with a nod.

"Thank God!" I mutter before springing to my feet, and following Dr. Chance out of the waiting room.

Aria's POV

After a ten minute drive from the hospital, we finally arrive at our comfortable home near Hollis. No one says as a word as we enter the house, and close the door behind us. What now? I have a daughter who is seriously hurt, and I have no idea how I can help her.

"Do you want to sleep in our bed with Mommy, Hope? I can sleep in your room of you think you'd sleep better with your mother laying next to you." Ezra offers.

Ezra does this a lot. Whenever he gets upset, or realizes that Hope is growing up, he babies her. Usually I would criticize Ezra for treating Hope like a five year old, but tonight I don't mind. If babying Hope will make her feel better, I'm all for it.

"That's okay, Daddy. I think I'd like to sleep in my room tonight. Can you walk me up, Mom?" Hope asks, as she looks up at me.

"Of course I can." I say, before running my fingers through my daughter's straightened hair.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Ezra mutters, before pulling Hope in for a long hug.

"Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Gregory." Hope says, as she looks up at her older brother.

Gregory doesn't say anything. Instead, he walks up to Hope, and plants a soft kiss on her forehead. He does the same for me, before walking upstairs to his bedroom. Now it's just the three of us.

"Hope, I have some clean sheets in the laundry room. I'm going to grab them for you. Why don't you go upstairs, and I'll meet you up there?" I suggest.

"You don't have to do that. My sheets are fine..." Hope starts to say.

"Yes, I do. I want you to be as comfortable as possible. Please, just let me get them for you." I say, feeling the urge to cry all of the sudden.

Hope doesn't argue anymore. Instead, she nods her head and walks upstairs. Ezra starts to say something, but I don't listen. I sprint to the laundry room, and pull the fresh sheets out of the cupboard. I hold them close to me, as tears begin to pour out of my eyes. No. I can't do this. If I go up to Hope's room with red eyes and puffy cheeks, she'll know I was crying. She can't know I was crying. I have to stay strong for my daughter. Hope is suffering far more than I am right now. I take a deep breathe, before walking out of the laundry room, and into my daughter's sanctuary.

When I arrive, Hope is sitting on her bed, and not saying a word. I look around the room, and try not to cry when I see her pink walls. Hope's walls have been this color ever since she was a little baby. Once Hope started high school, she started begging me to repaint the room. I never got around to it. Maybe it's because painting Hope's walls would be like admitting that she's not the same baby girl I brought home from the hospital fourteen years ago.

"Hope, do you mind standing up for a minute? I need to make your bed." I mutter.

Hope nods, before springing off the canopy bed that Ezra built her when she turned thirteen. I strip off the old sheets in record time, and within minutes, the bed is completely made. Hope crawls into it, and I gently tuck her underneath the covers. As soon as she's tucked in, I tenderly stoke my daughter's cheek, before bending down to kiss her forehead.

"What can I do for you?" I whisper, as I stare into the girl's blue eyes.

"C-Can you leave my lamp on when you walk out?" Hope asks me softly.

"Yes. Of course. Are you sure you're okay sleeping alone tonight? I don't mind staying with you." I say, secretly wanting to hold my daughter all night.

"No. I'll be fine. I'm just really tired." Hope says, as she shakes her head slowly.

"Okay. I love you so much, sweetie-pie. I'll be right down the hall if you need anything, okay? Don't hesitate to wake me up, or..." I ramble.

"Mom, I got it. I love you too." Hope says, cutting me off mid-sentence.

I kiss my daughter's forehead one last time before springing to my feet, and walking towards the door. Should I be leaving her? What if she needs me?

"Mom!" Hope calls, as soon as I take a step out of the room.

"What is it, honey?" I ask, as I turn to face her.

"Do you- Do you think I'm a bad girl sometimes?" Hope asks, as her chin begins to quiver.

I don't say a word. Instead, I hurry back to the bed, and pull Hope in for a long hug. She begins to sob in my arms, and I try to keep the tears back. Stay strong, Aria. Stay strong for the baby girl in your arms.

"Of course I don't think you're a bad girl! You're just growing up, and that's okay. It's normal." I say, as I stroke Hope's hair gently.

"B-but I lied to Gregory. I went to a party, even though you told me they were dangerous. I even got drunk..." Hope starts to list.

"Hope, stop. Please stop. I do not want you to go down that road. You chose to lie to Gregory, you chose to go to the party, and you even chose to drink. But guess what? It doesn't matter. You DID NOT chose to have sex. Someone made that decision for you, and it was wrong. I don't care if you feel angry that this happened, as long as you're not angry with yourself. If you want to be angry with someone, be angry with whoever did this to you." I say, as I look right into my daughter's eyes.

"M-Mommy... I didn't tell you the truth. I lied." Hope says, as she begins to sob even harder if that's humanly possible.

What does she mean she lied? What is there to lie about? Hope was raped. End of discussion.

"Hope, what are you talking about?" I ask her gently.

"I wasn't attacked like I told you I was. I was dancing, when a senior at Rosewood High came up and started talking to me. He's one of the coolest boys in school, and Miranda has liked him since the beginning of the year so I was flattered and shocked that he would talk to a nobody like me. Miranda saw us dancing and got super upset. She told me that he was trying to take advantage of me because I was drunk. I-I didn't believe her so I said some AWFUL things, and Miranda got so angry that she left the party without me. I started to cry, and he told me that he'd take me to his car so we could talk about it..." Hope says, breaking down before she can finish her statement.

"Sh-sh. Calm down, baby girl. Just breathe. I'm right here." I say, as tears begin to spill out of my eyes.

"After we got to the car, he started kissing me. I was so happy at first, Mommy. I had never kissed a boy before, and I thought he liked me so I kissed him back. It got more intense, and he started t-touching me. Then he took of my underwear and it all happened so fast... I felt like I was frozen." Hope says, as she begins to hyperventilate.

"Did you tell him no?" I ask, as my tone turns serious.

"Three times." Hope says, with a whimper.

"Honey, why didn't you tell me the truth at the hospital?" I ask her curiously.

"I-I didn't think you'd believe me. I got into the car with him, I didn't exactly fight back when he started doing things." Hope says with a sniffle.

"It doesn't matter. You said no, and that should have been enough. Even if you hadn't said the word, "no" it still wouldn't have been okay for him to do that. First of all, you never said yes, and therefor the sex was not consensual. You were also drunk, and underage. You mentioned that this boy was a senior. Is he eighteen yet?" I ask my daughter curiously.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure." Hope says with a nod.

"Who did this to you? Give me a name." I say, through my gritted teeth.

"Owen Labrie." Hope says, in a barely audible whisper.

Owen Labrie? The golden boy of Rosewood did this to my daughter? I feel even angrier if that's humanly possible. That asshole thought that just because he was going to Harvard, he could get away with assaulting a minor? He's in for a rude awakening. I'm going to RUIN him for doing this to Hope. I don't care if all of Rosewood hates me for it. He deserves to rot in hell, or in this case, rot in prison.

"Hope, he's not going to get away with doing this to you. I promise." I say, as I try to maintain my outrage.

"No one is gonna believe me." Hope says, as she shakes her head slowly.

"Yes they will, honey! The truth lies in the evidence. He hurt you, Hope." I say, trying to convince her and myself.

"I guess." Hope mutters, as she avoids looking into my eyes.

"Just be prepared to talk to the police about what happened tomorrow morning. I'll be with you the entire time." I say, as I grab my daughter's hand, and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks. I love you, but do you mind leaving? It's not personal. I just feel really tired." Hope says, with a yawn.

"Of course not. I completely understand. I love you so much, my baby girl." I say before kissing Hope's cheek, and hurrying out of the bedroom.

As soon as I close the door behind me, tears begin to spill out of my eyes. Hope was so young... So innocent compared to how Gregory was at fourteen. All I wanted was to protect and shelter her from the Nick's of the world. Why did this have to happen? My daughter didn't deserve this.

I walk down the hallway, and into the bedroom I share with Ezra. A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I open the door, to find Ezra sobbing hysterically on the bed. I don't say a word. Instead, I run over to the love of my life, and hold him as though my life depends on it.

"Don't cry, Ezra. Please don't cry. It's going to be fine. Hope is going to be fine." I say, as even more tears begin to pour out of my eyes.

"This wasn't supposed to happen, Aria. Not to her at least. Not to our little Hope. I promised that I'd keep her safe. I promised you on the day she was born!" Ezra says, as he continues to sob into my chest.

"Oh Ezra, there wasn't anything you could have done. It's not your fault, and I know that. Don't beat yourself up like Gregory is doing. Please don't. Hope doesn't need that right now. All she needs is to know that you're going to help her through this." I say, as my tone turns serious.

For half a second, Ezra stops crying. He holds his breath, before letting out a prolonged sob. My husband is trying to be strong for me, and for the fourteen year-old girl down the hall. Even though I've been away from Nick for years, my anxiety hasn't gone away. There are days when I'm terrified to leave Ezra's side because I don't want someone to take me from him. There are nights when I wake up screaming because of nightmares, and Ezra has to stay up with me until I calm down. There are weeks when I just feel sad. Sometimes I bottle the feelings up, and other times I just cry. Ezra is used to this, and he's always there to hold and comfort me. Right now I'm the one comforting him. It's strange, since Ezra is always so strong. I'm glad the roles are reversed tonight, since the pain Ezra is feeling must be unbearable.

"Baby, I was wrong. You can cry. Don't be brave for me, Ezra. I love you, and I'm here for you." I say, as I stare into his blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Aria. I should be comforting you right now." Ezra says, with a breathy sigh.

"It doesn't have to be a one-sided thing, Ezra. We can comfort each other. Just having you here is comforting enough." I tell him truthfully.

Both of us just hold each other, and sob for the rest of the night. How are we going to get through this? More importantly, how are our children going to get through this?

AN: What did you think of this chapter? Was it interesting to hear Ezra's perspective? Do you have any new insights on Hope, or her relationship with Aria? You learn a lot more about some of the tensions that exist between the mother and daughter in the next chapter, and how that affects Hope. What did you think of the Ezria scene at the end? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading :)


	6. Questioning

Hope's POV

(Flash Back)

Today is Friday, which means I get to go the park with Mommy! Mommy used to not take me to the park unless Daddy came too, but now she does not mind since I'm a big five year old! As soon as Mommy takes me out of my booster seat, she hands me a grey sweatshirt. I used to like grey because I wanted to look like a shark, but I don't like the color anymore since sharks are ugly.

"Mommy." I say, with a frustrated groan.

"Hope, put on the sweatshirt or I'll drive you right back home." Mommy warns.

I sigh, before putting the ugly grey sweatshirt on. Mommy really annoys me sometimes. She always makes me wear sweatshirts, and she always makes me hold her hand when we cross the street. Doesn't she know that I'm five?

"Hope, stay with me the entire time. Don't leave my side, okay?" Mommy asks, as we walk towards the park.

Mommy says this every time we go to the park. She tells me to stay close to her, and not leave her side. I always listen to Mommy since I don't want a time out, but today I am feeling super angry. That's why when Mommy sees some of her friends, I run far far away from her. Now that I'm gone, Mommy will feel sorry for making me wear the grey sweatshirt.

I climb up the smallest tree I can find, and wait a gazillion years for Mommy to find me, and say she's sorry. Mommy doesn't come though. Instead, another mommy comes, and scoops me up. I kick and scream, but she doesn't let go. When we get to the playground, I see Mommy laying on a bench, and crying. She's crying a lot. Even more than when I fell off the swings, and broke my arm. My plan doesn't seem like a good idea anymore...

"Aria, don't cry! Look! We found Hope! She's safe!" Someone else's mommy says as she sets me down next to my mommy.

Mommy doesn't say anything though. She just continues to cry. It's almost like Mommy isn't here. She won't look at me, and she won't stop crying. I'm scared. I want Mommy back.

"Mommy." I say, as I shake her gently.

Mommy still doesn't say anything. Why is she doing this? What happened to my mommy? I feel so upset, that I start to cry. None of the mommies try to help me like they're helping my mommy. They seem angry at me. Probably because I'm a bad girl who made my mommy cry.

After gazillion years, Daddy shows up at the park. I run into his arms, and he kisses my forehead softly. That's good. He's not mad at me. Probably because he doesn't know that I'm the one who made Mommy cry.

"Sweetheart." Daddy mutters, as he runs to Mommy's side.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy?" I ask through my tears.

"Don't worry about it, baby. Mommy is going to be fine. Come on. I'll get you both home." Daddy mutters before lifting up Mommy, and carrying her to the car.

Line Break

Mommy hasn't gotten out of bed in three days, and no one will tell me why. Gregory sits by her all day, and doesn't ever leave her side. Every time I try to get close to Mommy, he yells at me. I miss Mommy though. That's why I'm going to sneak past Gregory, and give her a ginormous hug. I tip toe into Mommy's bedroom, but Gregory is sitting right next to her! Before I can come up with a plan, Gregory sees me. Oh no! I'm in big trouble!

"I told you to stay away!" Gregory growls, as he cuddles closer to Mommy.

"That's not fair! She's my mommy too! You have to share!" I say, as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"Why should I have to share when it's your fault that she's gone? If you hadn't run away at the playground, Mom would still be here! You're the reason this happened!" Gregory screams furiously.

G-Gone? Last week my goldfish Crunchy floated to the top of his fish bowl, and stopped moving. Daddy told me that Crunchy was gone, but that really confused me since he was still in the bowl. Mommy then explained that even though Crunchy's body was still in his bowl, his spirit was in heaven with God. That means Mommy's spirit is in heaven with God. That means Mommy is dead. That means I killed Mommy! I killed Mommy!

"MOMMY!" I scream, as I drop to my knees.

"Get out of here, Hope. I don't want to see you ever again." Gregory says, as he crosses his arms over his chest.

I don't want to see me ever again either. I killed Mommy. I'm a bad, bad, bad, girl. Gregory hates me. Daddy hates me. Mommy probably hates me too. I want to die. That's why I run outside to the play structure and climb to the very top. Gregory once told me that if you fall off something ginormous, you die. I jump off the play structure, and close my eyes tight. When I open them, I'm not in heaven with Mommy. I'm still in my back yard, but my leg hurts. It hurts as much as my heart. I start to scream, and then Daddy comes outside.

"Hope, what's wrong?" Daddy asks, as he rushes over to me.

I don't say a word. Instead, I point to my leg, and Daddy gasps.

"Oh, Hope. Your right leg is twice the size as your left one. Did you fall off the play structure? I need to get you to a doctor. There is no way this isn't broken." Daddy says, with a breathy sigh.

I don't want to go to a doctor. Doctors make people feel all better. I want to die. Before I can tell Daddy not to take me to the doctor, Mommy walks out of the house. MOMMY! She isn't dead after all? Maybe Gregory was wrong. But Gregory is never wrong...

"MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!" I scream, as I try to stand up. My leg hurts so much, that I can't stand. I fall into Daddy's arms, and start to cry even more because I'm worried my leg will snap off.

"Hope! What's wrong? Why are you crying, darling?" Mommy asks, as she rushes over to me.

"She fell off the play structure. Her leg is shattered, Aria." Daddy says, as he shakes his head slowly.

Mommy takes me from Daddy, and begins to cry as hard as I am. Why is she still sad? Mommy should be happy that I got an ouchie since I almost killed her .

"My baby! Hope, I'm so sorry. I'll never let you get hurt ever again. I promise, honey. Oh my baby!" Mommy says, through her tears.

I don't like when Mommy cries. It makes me sad. Especially since I thought I killed her. I don't ever want to see Mommy cry again.

"I won't let you get hurt either, Mommy." I say, as I cuddle closer to her.

(End of Flashback)

"Hope, are you okay?" My mom asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

No. I'm not okay. How the hell did this happen? I cannot believe I am sitting in a private room at the Rosewood PD with my mother. In a few minutes, an officer is going to come in and take my statement. All of the sudden, I'm not so sure I want my mom in the room with me. What if she has one of her mental breakdowns afterwards? I can't handle her not being here with everything going on. Also, I promised years ago that I wouldn't hurt my mom like I did that day at the park.

"Mom, are you sure you want to stay for this?" I ask, as I stare into her hazel eyes.

"Hope, of course I want to be here. I promised you, remember?" My mom asks, as she grabs my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.

She also promised that she'd never let me get hurt, but look how well that turned out? No. It's not my mom's fault. I was the one who chose to drink. So why do I feel so resentful towards her today?

Ever since I was little, my mom has had major anxiety. Every once in a while, she'll be gone for days, and my dad will have to drive her to the hospital. Other times she's too depressed to get out of bed, and it scares the crap out of me. Maybe I'm resentful because I feel like I can't talk to my mom about this without her suffering from a mental breakdown. But still, it's not her fault. My mom's condition is genetic, so I don't know why I'm upset with her today.

"Honey, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" My mom asks, with concern in her voice.

"I don't want you to be here if you're going to have an anxiety attack afterwards. I can't deal with that right now, Mom. I need you." I say, as tears begin to form in my eyes.

A look of absolute despair washes over my mother's face. I know I shouldn't have said that. Now she's going to feel badly about her condition, and I don't want that. All I want is for my mom to be okay. Heck, I want both of us to be okay.

"Honey, don't worry. I won't let my anxiety get in the way of my being here for you. Honestly, don't worry about me. I'm here for you." My mom mutters, before offering me a soft kiss on the forehead.

Before I can respond, a female police officer walks into the room. She has dark hair, and beautiful olive skin. The officer looks familiar. I feel like I've seen her around town before. Maybe she's worked on a lot of cases in Rosewood?

"I'm guessing you're Hope? My name is Olivia Benson. I'm one of the new detectives in Rosewood." She says before taking a seat across from me, and giving my hand a firm shake.

"Nice to meet you." I mutter shyly.

"I'm guessing you're Mom?" Olivia asks, as her eyes dart up to my mother.

"Yes." My mom says, with a small nod.

Olivia glares at my mother for a minute, and a look of shock washes over her face. What is going on? Does Olivia know my mother from somewhere? This is certainly strange.

"Oh my God! You're..." Olivia starts to ramble.

Before Olivia can finish her sentence, my mom abruptly shakes her head. Olivia stops taking, and focuses her attention on me. Wait, what just happened?

"Hope, before we start I want you to know that I work with young girls like you on a daily basis. I am not here to interrogate you, or make you feel uncomfortable in the slightest. My job is to get as much information as possible so you have a successful trial. If you want to take your time, or step out of the room at any point, feel free. We can do this at your pace. The only thing I ask is that you're completely honest with me, so we don't run into problems in the future." Olivia says, as her voice softens.

I let out a prolonged sigh. It sounds like this woman believes me. She's on my side. Will she still be on my side after she hears the truth about what happened that night? I doubt it.

"Honey, do you want to start by telling her what you were doing at the party?" My mom asks, as she rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, sure. This girl Olivia Quinn threw a huge party, and my best friend convinced me to go with her. At first I was nervous since I never really go to parties, but then I started having a lot of fun." I mutter, as I avoid looking into the detective's eyes.

"Did you drink anything that night, Hope?" Olivia asks, as her tone turns serious.

I did, but should I tell the detective that? Can she get me in trouble for drinking under aged? What if I get arrested? I look at my mom to give me a cue of some sort, but she merely shakes her head.

"Hope, you have to tell Olivia the truth." My mom says, as her tone turns serious.

"Yes, I drank alcohol last night. It was my first time drinking, so I went a little overboard. My friend Miranda stayed downstairs with Olivia, and I went upstairs to dance. That's when I saw him." I say, as tears begin to form in my eyes.

Olivia responds by putting her notepad down, and handing me a box of tissues. I immediately grab one, and attempt to dry my watering eyes. How am I going to get through this? I could barely tell my mom what happened, so how am I going to tell a complete stranger?

"Hope, you obviously know who did this to you. Can you give me a name, or a description of some sort?" Olivia asks me gently.

"N-No. I'm sorry." I say, as I begin to shake my head vigorously.

"It was Owen. Owen Labrie." My mom says, butting in for me.

Olivia's eyes widen, and she quickly jots something down in her notebook. She must know who Owen is. Everyone in Rosewood does, since he has a full ride to Harvard.

"What happened next?" Olivia questions.

"Well, Owen started grinding on me. I didn't exactly stop him, so we danced for a song or two. I got into a huge fight with my friend, and he offered to take me to his car so we would talk. I was so drunk that I fell once we got to the driveway, so Owen had to carry me. Once we got to the car, he started kissing me..." I say, through my heavy sobs.

"And you consented to the kissing?" Olivia asks me gently.

"Yes, I did. But then he started t-touching me down there and asked him to stop. He ripped off my shirt and bit my chest..." I start to say.

"Another felony right there. That's assault." Olivia says, as she shakes her head slowly.

"How many felonies are we looking at here?" My mom asks, sitting up a bit in her chair.

"It depends. I can give you a number after Hope finishes telling her story." Olivia informs my mother.

"A-After that he started licking me, even though I didn't want him too. Then all of the sudden he was kissing me again, and then I felt him inside of me. I wanted to stop him, but I couldn't. It was like I was frozen. I told him no three times." I say, as I begin to sob even harder if that's humanly possible.

"Oh, baby." My mom says, as she wraps her arms around me, and begins to stroke my dark hair.

"After he finished, did he say anything to you? Was he violent, or threatening in anyway?" Olivia asks, with a breathy sigh.

"No. He just kicked me out of the car, and then I called my older brother." I say, as I shake my head slowly.

"Is there anything else you need to tell Olivia?" My mom asks, as her tone turns serious.

"No. I just want to go home." I say, as I shake my head vigorously.

"It's okay, Mrs. Fitzgerald. I think I have enough information for now. I'll be in touch." Olivia says, as she springs to her feet, and opens the door for us.

Aria's POV

Hope doesn't say a word to me during the car ride home. There's so much I want to say to her, but I can't find the right words. All I know is that my little girl is hurt, and I seem to be making everything worse. My own daughter didn't want me there during the questioning since she thought it would lead me to one of my dissociative states. I never thought my past would affect my ability to be there for Hope. I guess I was wrong. As soon as I pull into the driveway, Hope hops out of the car without saying a word. This would probably be the appropriate time to check on her.

"Honey, are you sure you're okay? I know answering those questions was difficult, and if you need to talk..." I start to ramble.

"No, that's okay. Honestly I'm just tired. Do you mind if I go upstairs and take a nap?" Hope asks me.

"Of course not." I mutter, before planting a kiss on my daughter's forehead.

As soon as Hope goes inside, I take a seat on the family porch swing and let out a breathy sigh. I feel like a terrible mother. All of the sudden, I feel a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around me. I look up, and gasp when I see my husband sitting next to me. When did he get out here?

"How did it go?" Ezra asks me softly.

I cannot even begin to express how painful the past two hours have been, so I merely shake my head. Ezra pulls me even closer to him, and tears begin to pour out of my eyes. Why aren't I capable of protecting my own children?

"She hates me, Ezra." I say, as I burry my head in his chest.

"Hope? Are you crazy? She's always been a Momma's girl. Hope loves you, Aria. We both know that." Ezra says, as he stares into my hazel eyes.

"Things have changed changed, Ezra. Today I saw something in Hope that I've never seen before, anger. She didn't want me in the room with her, Ez. She told me she was dealing with enough all ready, and she didn't want me to be gone..." I say, as I begin to hyperventilate.

"Sweetie, don't cry. Hope was just raped. She's angry at the asshole who hurt her, not you. Our daughter was probably worried about how you'd handle hearing about what happened, and that's why she didn't want you there. She was trying to protect you, Aria." Ezra says, as he begins to rub my back.

"Ezra, you're wrong. She's been angry at me for a while, and this was the first time I noticed it." I say, as I begin to shake my head vigorously.

"Why would she be angry with you? You're an excellent mother, and Hope knows how much you love her." Ezra says, as he furrows his brow in confusion.

"She also knows that there's something wrong with me, and our entire family!" I exclaim as I throw my hands into the air.

"There's nothing wrong with us, Aria." Ezra says, as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"That's a joke, Ezra. You and I both know that what happened to me effected us, and it still does. It's why I'm "gone" all of the time, and it's why we're so protective of our daughter. Hope knows that almost anything can push me over the edge, so she feels like she can't talk to me about her problems. She resents me for it, Ezra. I can see it in her eyes." I say, as I burry my face in my hands.

"Aria, stop it. You know that's not true. Hope doesn't resent you. She couldn't." Ezra says, as he begins to shake his head vigorously.

"Except she does." I say, as I stare into my husband's crystal blue eyes.

"Do you- Do you think it's time for us to tell Hope about the room? Maybe it would help her. If Hope realizes that you've been through the same thing, she might open up to you." Ezra says thoughtfully.

"T-Tell her? Are you crazy?" I ask, as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"No, I don't think so. Hope is fourteen, Aria. She deserves to know the truth. The longer we put it off, the harder it will be when we decide to tell her." Ezra says.

How is he so calm about this? Doesn't Ezra know that the truth will change Hope? If Owen didn't destroy her sense of security, this sure as hell will. Do we honestly want to put her through that right now?

"Not now, Ezra." I say, as I rest hand on his knee.

"But why?" Ezra questions.

"Because I say so!" I snap.

A hurt look washes over my husband's face, and I immediately feel guilty for yelling at him. Ezra is only trying to help, and I'm being a bitch.

"I'm sorry, Ezra. It's just that I'm not strong enough to tell her the truth." I say, with a whimper.

"I'm not strong enough to keep lying to her." Ezra says, as tears begin to form in his eyes.

"Neither am I." I confess.

"So what do you want to do?" Ezra asks me gently.

"Go back in time." I decide, after thinking about it for a minute.

"That's not an answer, Aria." Ezra says, with a breathy sigh.

"I want you to hold me. Is that a good enough answer for you?" I ask, as I look up at him helplessly.

"I'm sorry, but it's not." Ezra mutters, before springing to his feet and storming into our house.

AN: What did you think of this chapter? Did you like the flashback at the beginning? What does it say about Hope and Aria's relationship. Do you understand why Hope didn't want her mother at the questioning? What about the conversation between Aria and Ezra? Who do you agree with and why? Thanks for reading, and please review :)

I know I promised to update all of my stories on Thursdays, but my college app is due on Sunday and I've been working on it like crazy. I was obviously able to finish this chapter and the next chapter of Demons, but I won't be able to post Gone With The Wind tonight. I have most of it done, but I'm not completely satisfied with the chapter so far. I'd rather wait and write the story the way I envisioned it than just post something to get it done. Hopefully I'll have it done by tomorrow. Thanks for understanding :)


	7. The Fight

Hope's POV

It amazes me that even though I am bundled up in my cozy bed I feel so cold. I don't think I've ever felt this cold in my entire life. Scratch that. I do not feel cold. I feel empty. Numb, empty, and terribly afraid. Ever since I got home from the police station, my parents have been fighting. I do not know what their fighting is about since their door is sealed shut, but I can still make out the sound of their livid screams.

I hear a knock on my bedroom door and I immediately prop myself up in bed. It's probably my mom coming to check up on me. My mom doesn't seem to have the ability to leave me alone for more than an hour, and it's getting on my last nerve. She's still my mom though, and I cannot allow myself to shut her out.

"Come in." I call out meekly.

A startled gasp escapes from my lips when the door creeks open and I see Miranda standing in the doorway. What is she doing here? I thought she was mad at me? Is she still? I've been so preoccupied with my family that I forgot to think about how this would effect my relationship with Miranda.

"Hope!" Miranda exclaims as tears begin to spill out of her hazel eyes. Less than a second later Miranda is laying with me in bed and hugging me tightly. Wow. I'm guessing she's not angry anymore.

"I am so sorry." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"You're sorry? Are you kidding me? Hope, you were just raped! If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I knew that Owen's intentions weren't pure, yet I didn't do anything to get you out of the situation. Well I tried to, but then I gave up..." Miranda starts to ramble.

"Miranda, please stop. What happened wasn't your fault. You tried to talk some sense into me, but I didn't listen. I don't blame you at all. If anything, I blame myself for saying such terrible things to you." I say as I avoid looking into my friend's eyes.

"I forgive you, Hope. You're my best friend, and sometimes best friends say things to each other that they don't mean. Please don't blame yourself for what happened. It was all Owen's fault. He was the one who took you to his car and raped you!" Miranda exclaims.

Wait, how does Miranda know it was Owen? Well, she probably figured after she saw us dancing together. Still, how does she know about what happened in the car? Does all of Rosewood already know? My life is officially over...

"H-How did you know that it happened in his car?" I ask in a shaky voice.

"Your mom called my mom this morning and told her everything. Obviously my mom told me about what happened, and as soon as I heard the news I knew I had to see you." Miranda says with a sad smile.

"Oh Miranda... For a second I thought that all of Rosewood knew." I say as I breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Hope, I thought your mom told you." Miranda murmurs as she avoids looking into my eyes.

"Told me what?" I ask with confusion in my voice.

"About the reporters. The police arrested Owen about an hour ago, and now they're everywhere." Miranda whispers.

I respond by springing to my feet and storming over to the window in my room that over looks the front yard. I peer outside and gasp when I see reporters and news trucks circling around my block. Why didn't my parents tell me that this was going on? What if I had walked outside and been bombarded with questions?

"H-Hope..." Miranda says as she rests a hand on my shoulder.

"My life is officially over. How does everyone know that this happened to me? Obviously people know that Owen was arrested for rape, but how do they know that I was his victim. My mom told me that the identities of rape victims are kept anonymous..." I ramble.

"Technically they're supposed to be kept anonymous, but unfortunately it's not always possible. Rosewood is a small town, Hope. I'm sure people saw you leave the party with Owen, and those low life scumbags probably sent tips to the reposters." Miranda says with disgust in her voice.

"B-But that's so unfair! Now everyone is going to know my secret! I'm going to be labeled as the girl who was raped by Owen Labrie. Everyone is going to hate me. Oh my God! My life is over!" I say as I burry my head in a pillow and continue to sob.

"No one is going to hate you. Owen raped you, and it was his own fault. How could anyone blame you for what happened, Hope? Besides, I'm sure this will blow over quickly. As soon as another interesting story pops up, everyone will forget all about what happened with Owen." Miranda says as she rests a hand on my back.

"This is Rosewood, Miranda. It could take years for something interesting to happen around here! I'll probably be the talk of the town until we graduate." I tell her bitterly.

Miranda open her mouth to speak but no words come out. Even she knows I'm right. A high profile rape case is the most interesting thing that's ever come out of this pathetic town.

"Hope, it's gonna be okay. I promise. I'll be by your side regardless of what happens in the future." Miranda says as she pulls me in for a long hug.

"Why are you being so nice to me? After everything I said at the party last night I thought you'd be pissed." I confess.

"Well I was, but that's already forgotten. Don't worry, Hope. I'm completely over it. Let's just focus on getting you better, okay?" Miranda suggests.

"Thank you, Miranda. You're being so good to me today." I say through my tears.

"Please. What are best friends for?" Miranda asks as she continues to hug me as though her life depends on it.

Gregory's POV

I'm sitting downstairs on the couch and trying to distract myself with a book when Miranda enters the living room. Tears are pouring out of her eyes, and she looks incredibly distraught. I don't think I've seen her this upset since she was seven years old and subjected to sit through time out. I hope she doesn't feel guilty about what happened to my little sister. What happened that night wasn't Miranda's fault in the slightest.

"Are you okay?" I ask her gently.

"No, not really. You should know that I told Hope about the reporters." Miranda spits out.

Ever since the police arrested Owen, reporters have been circling the neighborhood. The publicity is taking a toll on my mother, and she wanted to wait until tomorrow to talk to Hope about the reporters. Why would Miranda bring something like that up? She knows it's not her place.

"You shouldn't have done that." I say with a breathy sigh.

"Someone had to, and I knew it wasn't going to be any of you people." Miranda says as she shakes her head slowly.

"W-what are you talking about?" I ask with confusion in my voice.

"You never tell Hope anything! Everyone in America knows about your family's history except for her! What are you guys going to do? Wait until one of the reporters tells Hope the truth about Nick and the room? Do you have any idea how hurt she'll be? She's trusted you for all of these years, and when she finds out you've been lying..." Miranda starts to ramble.

"With all do respect Miranda, we've never lied to Hope. We've kept a lot from her, but we've never lied. Besides, I don't see how any of this is your business." I say as I begin to raise my voice.

"Of course it's my business, Gregory! In case you're forgetting, Hope is my best friend. I hate that she's hurt, and I'm terrified that she'll figure out the truth in the midst of all this publicity. You need to talk to her." Miranda says as her tone turns serious.

Part of me knows that Miranda is right. Hope is such a sensitive soul, and my biggest fear is that someone will tell her about the room before our mother has the chance to talk with her about it. Even though Hope is already fourteen, she's still my innocent baby sister. If we tell her about Nick, she'll lose that innocence. I know it's bound to happen eventually, but I want to preserve Hope's adolescence for as long as possible.

"Listen, Miranda, I get what you're trying to say. You think that we're doing a disservice to Hope by keeping the truth for her, and believe me, I've thought the same thing a time or twenty. What you don't understand, however, is that I lived in fear for most of my childhood. Even after I left the room, I would have nightmares about Nick and everything that happened to my mother. Did you know that I used to sneak into Hope's room after my parents fell asleep? I did that because I was afraid that someone would take her while she was sleeping. I also refused to let her walk to school by herself, and I absolutely hated when she slept over at your house for the longest time..." I start to ramble.

"Gregory-" Miranda interrupts.

"No, let me finish. I know now that my fears were irrational. I've come to realize that even though there is evil in the world, the chances of Hope being taken like my mother was are slim to none. Still, there are times when I am absolutely terrified. I wish I could forget about everything that happened to me in that stupid room, but I can't. I have to find ways to deal with what happened, but why should Hope have to deal with it too? She's lucky, Miranda. My parents kept her sheltered, and as a result she feels safe in her own skin. As soon as we tell her about Nick, there is no going back. Hope's sense of security will be altered completely, and I don't want to see that happen. Not yet at least." I say as tears begin to form in my own eyes.

"Gregory, do you honestly think that Hope still feels safe in her own skin? Last night she was raped! That innocent and carefree girl is already gone, so you may as well tell her they truth before someone else does. Besides, Hope is fourteen now. She's strong enough to get through this, Gregory. She has you." Miranda says as her voice begins to soften.

"I don't know what to do, Miranda. I just don't know." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"Promise me you'll at least think about telling her." Miranda begs.

"Miranda, I've been thinking about it for the past fourteen years." I confess.

Line Break

My mom has always liked having a set routine. My dad says it's her way of keeping everything organized, but I think I think it's her way of making sure she feels in control. Even when we were in the room, my mom had a set time for nearly everything. In the mornings we would do math, in the afternoons we would read, and at night we would eat. We're free now, but my mom still has little things she always does. For example, every night at five thirty my mom starts cooking dinner. It's six fifteen, and my mom hasn't entered the kitchen. This can only mean one thing: my mom is gone.

Even though I'm practically an adult, I absolutely hate when my mom is gone. Every time I see her laying lifelessly in bed, I feel sick. Still, I promised myself years ago that I'd always take care of my mother during her spells. That's why I finally build up the courage to get my ass off the couch, and make my way to her bedroom. To my complete surprise, my mother's eyes aren't closed. They're wide open, and she's staring directly at me. My mom isn't gone after all.

"Hi, sweetheart." My mom mutters as she sits up in bed.

"Hi, Mom." I say as I make my towards the bed and take a seat next to her.

My mom responds by running her hands through my tamed curls. Then, she kisses my forehead and pulls me in for a tight hug.

"You're getting so big. I can't believe how handsome you are. You look so much like your daddy." My mom whispers into my ear.

"T-thanks." I say with a deep blush.

"Tell me, what are you doing up here?" My mom asks as she reluctantly breaks the hug.

"I already told you. I'm staying home for a few weeks. I don't want to go back to the dorms with everything going on..." I start to ramble.

"I mean, what are you doing in my room? I thought you had studying to do." My mom clarifies.

"I do, but it doesn't seem to be very productive at the moment. It's not like I can get anything done while Hope is so hurt. Why are you still in bed? It's almost six thirty, and you normally cook dinner at five thirty." I say as I stare into my mom's hazel eyes.

"Well, today is anything but normal. I don't exactly feel like cooking, so I thought I'd order a pizza." My mom says with a shrug.

"A pizza? That's not like you at all. Where is Dad? Maybe he can call it in for you." I suggest.

"Honey, your father and I got into a fight. He went to see his mother, so I doubt he'll be joining us for dinner." My mom says with a breathy sigh.

"Y-you and Dad got into a fight? What was it about?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"He seems to think that now is the appropriate time to tell Hope about Nick and the room. It's absolutely absurd, Gregory! Do we honestly want to complicate things even more?" My mom asks me rhetorically.

"Well, Miranda seems to think we should tell Hope the truth too." I blurt out nervously.

"Miranda? What does Miranda have to do with any of this?" My mom asks as she furrows her brow in confusion.

"We had a long talk this afternoon after she visited Hope. She's worried that the reporters will bring up Nick, and honestly so am I. I know the plan has always been to tell Hope after she turned sixteen, but don't you think the circumstances have changed a bit?" I ask my mother gently.

My mom responds by picking up a picture of five year old Hope and holding it in front of my face. The picture nearly brings tears to my eyes, but fortunately I am able to hold them back for the time being.

"Do you want to tell this little girl about Nick? I sure as hell don't!" My mom says as she begins to raise her voice.

"Mom, Hope is five in that picture. She isn't that little girl anymore." I say with a breathy sigh.

"Maybe not, but she's still a little girl." My mom argues.

"She's fourteen." I remind her.

"Exactly, she's only fourteen. Gregory, Hope still sleeps with a nightlight and a teddy bear. She loves boy bands and..." My mom starts to ramble.

"She's not a virgin." I interrupt.

"E-Excuse me?" My mom asks as her eyes grow wide with shock.

"You heard me. Hope isn't a virgin. She's seen a penis." I say as I avoid looking into my mother's eyes.

"How dare you say that, Gregory! Hope didn't chose to lose her virginity, okay! Even if she did, virginity isn't an indicator of maturity. What if someone had hurt Hope when she was seven or eight? Would you still consider her old enough to hear the truth?" My mom asks as she begins raise her voice.

"Of course not, but Hope isn't seven or eight. She's fourteen, and you can't keep sheltering her from the truth. If she finds out about Nick from someone who isn't you, she'll be devastated. I know you're trying to help Hope, but I'm starting to think you're hurting her." I confess.

"I thought you would understand my position, Gregory. As much as I love your father, he doesn't understand like we do. You-you were the only person I had for five years, and I thought you'd always be on my side." My mom says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"Mom, I do understand your position and I'll always be on your side. I love you more than anything in the entire world, but I love Hope too. I know your trying to do what's best for her, but I feel like your emotions alter your perspective." I mutter.

"Oh, so now I'm a terrible mother?" My mom asks me angrily.

"No! You're the best mom in the world, but no one is perfect. I'm just trying to be honest with you, Mommy. You need to realize that Hope isn't going to be a little girl forever." I say as I reach for my mother's hand.

"No, Gregory. What I need is for you to leave me. I don't want to see you right now. You've disappointed me." My mom says as she jerks her hand away from mine.

"Wow. You've always been good at shutting people out, but I never thought you'd do that to me. You didn't just disappoint me, Mom. You hurt me even more than Nick did." I say before storming out of the bedroom and slamming the door behind me.

AN: What did you think of this chapter? Did you like the Miranda scenes? What did you think of Aria and Gregory's fight at the end? Whose side are you on? Please review and tell me what you thought!

I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry about that. The truth is, I'm trying to get over my first real heartbreak and I haven't been that motivated to write any of my stories. I've been trying super hard, but things just don't seem to be working out. Some of the reviews I got didn't exactly help either :(. I really appreciate that so many people are invested in my story, but it's really upsetting when I see reviews that say things like "are you dead", "this better be worth the wait", or anything that starts with "I'm not trying to be rude..." That being said, thanks to everyone who continues to support me and my writing. I'll try my best to have a new update next Thursday.


	8. Giving Up On You

Gregory's POV

I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit at home and pretend like everything was okay while my family fell apart before my very eyes. After my fight with my mom, I got into my car and drove to my dorm room at The University of Pennsylvania. I am so happy that I have a single this year because I don't think I'd be able to deal with a dotting roommate tonight. The only person I want to deal with right now is Kennedy, and she should be here any minute.

I know it's selfish of me to burden my girlfriend with my problems, but I needed to see her. Kennedy always makes me feel better when I'm having a shitty day, and her smile might be the only thing that can cheer me up tonight. As I'm thinking this, my door bursts open. Thank God! She's finally here!

"Gregory, I got your message. Is everything okay?" Kennedy asks as she hurries over to me.

"Lay down with me, please." I say as scoot over to make room for my beautiful girlfriend.

Kennedy nods before crawling into my bed and wrapping her arms around me. I hold Kennedy close to me as I kiss her forehead multiple times. It's such a relief to see her. I might not have been able to protect my mom or Hope, but at least Kennedy is safe in my arms. I love her so much.

"Will you stay the night? I don't want to be alone." I tell Kennedy truthfully.

"Yeah, I was planning on it. You seemed really upset in the voicemail you left me... Is everything okay?" Kennedy asks with concern in her voice.

"No. Everything is so fucked up right now, Kennedy." I say with a breathy sigh.

"Why? Did something happen with Hope? I never heard from you after she called you from that party." Kennedy says as her eyes grow wide with worry.

"That's because someone raped her. I had to take her to the hospital last night, and today I've been dealing with the aftermath." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"Oh my God... Hope was raped? This is probably a stupid question, but is she okay? Do you know who did this to her?" Kennedy asks with shock in her voice.

"She's not doing well, Kennedy. My mom took her to the police station for questioning, and she's been in a funk ever since. The person who raped her has already been arrested. His name is Owen Labrie, and he is the golden boy of Rosewood. The kid had a full ride to Harvard." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"Poor Hope." Kennedy murmurs as tears begin to well up in her blue eyes.

"Hey, don't cry. Hope is going to be fine." I say as I run my fingers through Kennedy's sleek blonde hair.

"What about you? Are you fine? I know how much Hope means to you, Gregory. Especially after everything that your family went through before she was born." Kennedy says as her voice begins to soften.

"Kennedy, I'd be lying if I told you I was fine. My heart is broken, and I'm angry enough to kill the boy who hurt my baby sister." I tell her.

"Why are you here with me right now? Don't get me wrong, I love being with you, but why aren't you with your family? They need you, Gregory." Kennedy says as her tone turns serious.

"My family is falling apart, Kennedy. My parents won't stop fighting, and my mom doesn't even want to be in the same room as me." I say as even more tears begin to spill out of my eyes.

"Gregory, that's crazy. Your parents are so in love, and your mom loves you more than anything in the entire world. Why is everyone fighting?" Kennedy questions.

"Because everyone disagrees on how we should handle the situation. My dad thinks we should tell Hope about what happened to my mother, but my mom doesn't want that. She wants to stick to her original plan, and wait until Hope turns sixteen to tell her." I explain.

"Well, what do you think?" Kennedy questions.

"I agree with my dad. The media has already taken an interest in this case, and I don't want Hope to find out the truth from someone who isn't my mom. Besides, my mom is the only person in our family who knows what Hope is dealing with. She can help Hope, and my sister needs all the help she can get. Do you agree?" I ask Kennedy curiously.

"I don't know, Gregory. It would suck if someone told Hope about the room, but your poor mother is probably terrified to talk with her about it. Your mom talks to groups of people about her story on a weekly basis, but telling Hope would be so much harder. I can't even imagine what it would be like for your mom to have to relive all of that trauma in front of her own daughter." Kennedy says with a shutter.

I'm about to open my mouth to respond, but I quickly stop myself. Kennedy doesn't seem like herself. Her eyes look all glassy, and her petit body is shaking vigorously. She reminds me of my mom during one of her spells...

"Honey, are you okay? You just went somewhere." I say as I pull her even closer to me.

"Gregory, I can talk to Hope if it's too difficult for your mom." Kennedy blurts out suddenly.

"You want to talk to Hope about my mom's story?" I ask with confusion in my voice.

"N-no. I want to talk to Hope about my story." Kennedy mutters as she avoids looking into my blue eyes.

"Your story? What does your story have to do with any of this? Your dad died when you were two, and your mom raised you alone in New York City. Hope already knows those things, baby." I tell Kennedy gently.

"Does she know that when I was twelve, my mom had a boyfriend named Steve? Does she know that Steve used to come into my room when my mom wasn't home, and rape me?" Kennedy blurts out.

Kennedy's words cause my mouth to drop open. I've been dating Kennedy for almost three years, and this is the first time I've heard the name "Steve." I know nearly everything about Kennedy. I know about her habit of twirling her hair when she gets nervous, and I know that her biggest fear is forgetting the sound of her father's voice. If she was willing to tell me those things, why wasn't she willing to tell me about Steve? I thought she felt comfortable enough to tell me anything...

"Gregory, please say something." Kennedy says as she begins to sob into my grey t-shirt.

"Honestly, I have no idea what you want me to say. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier, Kennedy?" I ask as I try to mask the hurt that I'm feeling.

"Gregory... I never told anyone. I didn't even tell my mom, and she's my best friend." Kennedy says as she stares into my blue eyes.

"Why?" I question.

"At first it was because she was so in love with Steve. I thought-I thought that what happened was my fault, and I was so afraid that she'd hate me for having relations with him. By the time I was old enough to realize that Steve was a sick man, I was too ashamed to come forward. I felt disgusting, Gregory. I still feel disgusting. " Kennedy says with an involuntary shutter.

"Is that why you didn't tell me? Did you think that I'd view you as disgusting if I knew the truth?" I ask her curiously.

"Maybe a little." Kennedy admits.

"Well, that makes me feel absolutely sick! I told you everything about me, Kennedy! I told you about being held hostage, and I even talked to you about watching Nick rape my mom. I was around sexual violence for the first five years, and you still thought that I wouldn't understand? Did you think that I would blame you somehow?" I ask as I begin to raise my voice.

"No, of course I didn't. I was just afraid, Gregory. It's as simple as that." Kennedy says as she avoids looking into my eyes.

"Do you have any idea how scary it was for me to talk to you about some of the things I went through? I told you things about my childhood that I never even told my own father! It wasn't easy, but I did it because I love you Kennedy. I love you, and I wanted us to have an honest relationship." I say as I gently push her away from me.

"I'm sorry, Gregory. I'm so sorry." Kennedy says through her tears.

"My God, Kennedy. You told me that I was your first! I wish I had known that someone hurt you before we had sex for the first time. It all makes so much sense now! The way you used to shake when I touched you, and how you cried for about an hour after our first time... Oh Kennedy. I feel sick. I bet I made you feel even worse..." I start to ramble.

"Gregory, stop. You didn't make me feel worse. Before I met you, I thought I'd never feel comfortable being intimate. I was so afraid the first few times we did it, but you were so gentle with me. I never once thought of Steve when we were together, Gregory. The only person I ever think about is you. Besides, I'm glad you didn't know the truth the first time we had sex." Kennedy confesses.

"Why?" I ask as I furrow my brow in confusion.

"Because I know you, Gregory. You're a protector. Had you known, you would have doted over me. I didn't wanted to be doted over, Gregory. I just wanted you to love me like you would have any other girl." Kennedy says through her tears.

"You're not just any other girl to me, Kennedy. Besides, I do dote over you when me make love. Not because you were sexually assaulted, but because I love you so damn much. I still can't believe think I would have treated you differently had I known the truth." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"For the love of God, Gregory! You would have treated me differently!" Kennedy says as she begins to raise her voice.

"You don't know that!" I argue.

"Yes I do! Do you how I know? Because you're already starting to treat me differently!" Kennedy shouts.

"Jesus Christ Kennedy, I'm treating you differently because I'm angry!" I yell.

"You're angry with me? Why? Because I was sexually assaulted?" Kennedy asks through her tears.

"Of course not! I'm angry at you for keeping this from me." I tell her truthfully.

"Am I obligated to tell you everything about me?" Kennedy questions.

"No, you're not obligated. You're not obligated to do anything, but I thought you trusted me as much as I trusted you! I thought we knew everything about each other and that's why-that's why I was going to ask you to marry me." I say as I avoid looking into Kennedy's tear filled blue eyes.

"Y-You were going to propose?" Kennedy asks as her voice begins to soften.

"Yeah, but not anymore. I think we should take a break." I mutter.

"Wow! I've thought about telling you the truth in the past, but I never expected the conversation to end like this. I thought you of all people would understand what I've been through and stand by me. Well, I guess you're not the guy I fell in love with after all. This isn't a break, Gregory. This is the end. Don't call me. Ever." Kennedy shouts before storming out of my dorm room and slamming the door behind her.

Ezra's POV

My wife and I are passionate fighters. Whenever we argue, one of us ends up taking it to the extreme and storming out of the house. Earlier we argued about how to deal with our daughter, and this time I was the one who left. I've been away from my wife for hours, and I miss her terribly. We need each other more than ever, and I need to make things up to her. That's why on my way home, I picked up flowers and chocolates for my beautiful wife. I hope she appreciates the gesture and lets me back in.

"I'm home, baby girl. I'm so sorry." I say as I creep into the bedroom.

A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I see Aria laying in our bed, and not moving a single muscle. Great. She's gone. I set my gifts to Aria on the nightstand before hurrying over to her and kissing her forehead repeatedly. My poor baby. I hope I wasn't the one who set her over the edge...

"Please wake up, Aria. Hope needs you. Heck, I need you." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

Obviously I don't get a response, and Aria continues to lay in bed lifelessly. Great. Not I'm going to have to care for our little girl on my own. I guess I should start by making her dinner. I kiss Aria's forehead one last time before leaving the bedroom and making my way towards the kitchen.

I want to do something special for Hope, so I decide to make dumplings and brownies for dinner. Obviously I don't cook as well as Aria does, but it's the thought that counts. As soon as I stick the homemade dumplings into the oven, I hear footsteps making their way down the hall. Who could that be?

"Hi, Daddy." Hope tells me softly.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing down here? I thought you were taking a nice nap." I say as I turn to face my daughter.

"I got hungry." Hope explains.

"Well, you're in luck! I'm making your favorite." I say as I offer her a nervous smile.

"Why isn't Mom doing it?" Hope asks me curiously.

Oh God. I have to tell Hope about that's going on with Aria. I don't want to worry the fourteen year old, but she deserves to know why her Mommy isn't here with her.

"Honey, your mother isn't doing too well." I say as my voice begins to soften.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Hope asks as teas begin to form in her hazel eyes.

"Yeah." I say with a small nod.

"She promised she wouldn't do this today!" Hope says as she begins to raise her voice.

"Oh Hope, don't be angry with your mother. She doesn't consciously chose to be gone. Unfortunately, it's just her brain's way of dealing with her anxiety." I explain.

"I know. It just sucks." Hope says with a breathy sigh.

"Trust me, I know. Do you want to tell Gregory that dinner will be ready soon?" I ask my daughter.

"Dad, Gregory left about an hour ago." Hope informs me.

"What? I thought he was staying for a few days." I say as I furrow my brow in confusion.

"So did I. Apparently something came up." Hope grumbles.

"Well, I guess it's just us tonight, kiddo." I say as I try to cheer my depressed fourteen year old up.

Hope doesn't say anything, or even crack a smile. Instead, she stares at me as though I'm transparent. Obviously I'm doing a shitty job of cheering her up...

"Hope, you remind me so much of your mother." I blurt out suddenly.

"I-I do?" Hope asks me curiously.

"Uh-huh. You both try to shut me out when you get upset about something. The thing is- I don't want you to shut me out, Hope. Do you know what I do with your mother whenever she's feeling down?" I question.

"No." Hope says as she shakes her head vigorously.

"Well, I watch chick flicks with her until I hear that adorable laugh of hers. You have the same laugh as your mother, and I really need to hear it tonight. What do you say we eat dinner on the couch and watch whatever funny movie you desire?" I suggest.

"R-Really?" Hope asks as brief look of excitement washes over her face.

"Yes, really." I say before pulling the girl in for a hug and kissing her forehead softly.

Line Break

Hope is even more like Aria than I thought she was. She asked if we could watch Bride Wars, which is her mother's favorite mindless chick flick. But that's not all. Oh no. Hope laughs at the exact same parts as Aria does, and their subtle similarities never fail to blow my mind.

I glance towards my daughter during Aria's favorite scene in the movie and secretly expect her to be laughing hysterically. But Hope isn't laughing. She's staring at the TV screen and sobbing. I don't see Aria anymore. I see a terrified fourteen year old girl.

"Oh, Hope." I murmur as I scoot towards my daughter and wrap my arms around her.

"D-Daddy..." Hope says as she begins to sob into my chest.

"Sh-sh. It's going to be okay, baby. I promise it's going to be okay." I whisper as I tighten my grasp on her.

I don't say anything else to my daughter. Instead, I hold her until she manages to cry herself to sleep in my loving arms. Yes. She's just like her mother.

Authors Note: So we saw a very different side of Gregory in this chapter. Did he have the right to be angry with Kennedy or was he being insensitive? Does this chapter taint your view of him at all? What did you think of the Hope and Ezra scenes? What will Ezra say to Aria once she wakes up? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading :)


	9. The Run

Aria's POV

Usually when I'm gone, I stay gone for up to twenty-four hours. This time, however, I find it in myself to recover much sooner. I glance over at my alarm clock and sigh when I realize that it's six o'clock in the morning and Ezra isn't by my side. He must still be angry about our argument. I'm tired of fighting, and now is as good of a time as ever to make amends with my husband and son.

I get out of bed and make my way to the living room, where Ezra is sleeping soundly on the couch. I don't want to wake him, but I cannot go another minute without speaking to Ezra. I scotch towards the sleeping man and plant a soft kiss on his forehead. My husband's blue eyes flutter open, and his pale lips curl into a smile.

"You're awake." Ezra says as he pulls me close to him.

"I'm so sorry." I say, unable to think of a better response.

"What are you sorry for?" Ezra asks as he furrows his brow in confusion.

"For everything. I don't want to fight with you anymore, Ezra. I love you, and I need you." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"Honey, I'm sorry too. I love you more than anything in the world, and I'm not going anywhere." Ezra whispers before pulling me close to him and pressing his lips against mine.

I kiss Ezra back, and for half a second everything is absolutely perfect. I forget that my little girl was raped and that I got into a terrible fight with my son. All that seems to matter is that I have Ezra by my side. Then reality hits me, and I realize that all of it matters.

"I've been thinking a lot about Hope and our situation. If it were up to me, we'd tell her the truth about Nick and the room. However, I've decided that this decision should be completely in your hands. This is your truth to tell, and if you're not ready to tell it, I support your decision." Ezra says as he breaks the heated kiss.

"Thank you, Ezra. That means the world to me. You have no idea." I say as I stare into his piercing blue eyes.

"You don't have to thank me, Aria. We're a team, and I'll always be there for you." My husband says as he grabs a loose piece of hair and tucks it behind my ear.

"Where are our beautiful children?" I ask Ezra softly.

"Hope is upstairs sleeping and Gregory is back at Penn." Ezra says after thinking about it for a minute.

"P-Penn? Gregory said he wanted to stick around for a few days." I say as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"Yeah, I heard that too. The kid must have had a change of heart because he left last night before dinner. Hope said he was stressed out about a paper or something like that." Ezra says with a nonchalant shrug.

"Oh Ezra..." I say as I burst into tears.

"Sweetheart, don't cry. Gregory will be back here soon! Don't worry about it!" Ezra exclaims as he begins to rub my back.

"You don't understand, Ezra. Gregory left because of me. Yesterday when you were at your mom's house we got into a terrible fight." I say through my heavy sobs.

"You are Gregory got into a fight?" Ezra asks in disbelief.

"Yes." I say with a sad nod.

"B-But you two never fight. I know you sometimes butt heads with Hope, but never Gregory. What happened?" Ezra asks with concern in his voice.

"I think he had a conversation with Miranda about Hope, and now he seems to think that we should tell her the truth. I was so stressed out and angry about our fight, that I completely snapped at him. Gregory told me that he never expected me to shut him out, and that I hurt him more than Nick ever did..." I say as I begin to cry ever harder if that's humanly possible.

"Sh-sh, don't cry. This is hard on Gregory too, Aria. Hope is his baby sister, and you how close they are. Gregory is obviously trying to find ways to cope, and fighting with you probably made him even more upset. He didn't mean those things, Aria. Gregory loves you more than anything in the world." Ezra says as he envelopes me in a hug.

"I need to see him, Ezra. I cannot stand the idea of my little boy sitting in his dorm room and thinking that I'm angry with him. I need to make things right." I say as I wipe away my tears.

"Aria, it's six o'clock in the morning. Gregory is probably sounds asleep, and I don't want you driving all the way to the city while you're this upset." Ezra says as his tone turns serious.

"W-Well I can't just wait around the house all day. I'll go crazy!" I exclaim.

"Why don't you go for a run around the neighborhood? Isn't that what you always do to clear your mind?" Ezra asks a rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, but I couldn't possibly do that this morning. I can't leave Hope again, Ezra." I say as my tone turns serious.

"Aria, Hope will be fine. She'll probably sleep for another two hours and surely you'll be back by the time she wakes up. Even if you're not, I'll be here. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of her while you're gone, honey." Ezra tells me.

"I don't know Ezra..." I start to ramble.

"Go, Aria. You need to do something for yourself." Ezra says, obviously trying to persuade me.

Maybe I should go for a run. If I clear my mind, I'll be able to deal with this situation better. I need to be the best mother possible for Hope's sake.

"Okay, but I'll only be gone for an hour." I say before kissing Ezra's forehead and hurrying upstairs so I can change into my running clothes.

Line Break

I'm out of shape. I've only been running for about ten minutes, and I already feel winded. I really should run more. I've been so busy with work and my family that I haven't had much time to run over the past few weeks. At least I get the opportunity now. I let out a startled shriek when I feel someone tap my shoulder. What if... No!

"Aria Fitzgerald, how are you dealing with this tragedy?" I hear a female voice say.

I turn around and gasp when I see a news reporter standing in front of me. She has a team of about twelve and they are filming me. They are filming me without my consent...

"Leave before I call the police!" I exclaim furiously.

"How is Hope doing? I can only imagine how difficult this must be for your family. Especially after..." The woman starts to ramble.

"What did you say?" I ask, cutting the woman off mid sentence.

"I was starting to express my sympathy and condolences. What a tragedy this is. Especially after what happened to you years ago, Mrs. Fitzgerald." The reporter says as she shakes her head slowly.

Absolute furry overtakes my tiny body. How dare they? How dare they come up to me on the street and mention my past? What if Hope had been with me? Wait... Maybe Ezra and Gregory have a point after all.

"How dare you!" I scream furiously.

"Excuse me?" The woman asks as she furrows her brow in confusion.

"How dare you approach me on the street and ask me personal questions about my family. We have enough going on without you bottom feeding scums tracking our each and every move. Go to hell!" I should before yanking the woman's microphone out of her hand and chucking it to the ground.

Before her or the crew members can respond, I turn around and begin to sprint towards my house. I don't feel winded at all anymore. I can't focus on my fatigue. The only think I can focus on is getting home to my baby girl.

Ezra's POV

Just like her mother, Hope loves blueberry pancakes. Since my daughter has been feeling so down lately, I thought I'd make Hope her favorite breakfast. To my dismay, Hope has barely touched the pancakes I made her. Instead, she sits across from me at the kitchen table looking as depressed as ever.

"Do those not taste good, sweetheart?" I ask her curiously.

"I'm just not hungry. That's anyways, Dad." Hope mutters before pushing the full plate of pancakes towards the middle of the table.

"No problem, honey. It seems like you're having kind of a tough morning." I say as I stare into my daughter's hazel eyes.

"It's just- Why did Mom have to leave? Usually she comes and talks to me after she's been gone for a while. Did I do something wrong?" Hope asks as tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"Of course you didn't do anything wrong, honey. Your mother wanted to stay with you, but I practically kicked her out of the house. I thought she needed some fresh air." I say as I grab Hope's hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

"I wish you hadn't done that, Daddy." Hope says as she shakes her head slowly.

"Why? Is everything okay?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"I-I didn't sleep at all last night. The nightmares kept me up... I just needed her this morning." Hope says with a sniffle.

"I'm so sorry, Hope. If I had known I wouldn't have asked her to get out of the house for a few hours. I just thought- I thought I'd be able to manage you on my own. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? Do you want to talk to me about some of the nightmares?" I ask my daughter gently.

"That's okay, Daddy." Hope says as she begins to shake her head vigorously.

"Why not, Hope? You used to tell me everything you know." I say with a sad smile.

"But this is different. It's... Awkward." Hope says with an involuntary shutter.

"I get it. I'm your father and you feel uncomfortable talking about what happened with me." I say with a breathy sigh.

"I just don't want to upset you." Hope says as she avoids looking into my blue eyes.

"I don't care if it upsets me, Hope. The only person in the world I care about right now is you." I say as I grab her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Did you know that I kissed him? I kissed him willfully." Hope says as her voice cracks nervously.

"Yes. Your mother told me that part." I tell her softly.

"Owen was my first kiss. Before him no one had ever wanted to kiss me. Maybe that's why I was so eager to get in the back of his car. It's my fault, Daddy. It's all my fault." Hope says as she bursts into tears.

Her words nearly break my heart in two. How many times have I heard Aria say those exact same words? How many times have I watched my poor wife beat herself up over something that wasn't her fault? Now I have to watch my baby girl suffer through the exact same thing.

"Don't say that, Hope. It wasn't your fault. That boy took advantage of you." I say as my tone turns serious.

"I was so confused, Daddy. At first I thought it was his fingers, but then I realized his hands were by his side. It hurt so much. I thought he was going to break me somehow." Hope says with an involuntary shutter.

"Honey, I know it hurt. The girl's first time always hurts and the fact that your first time was rape probably made it significantly worse. I'm so sorry you had to endure so much pain, baby girl." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"Y-You're crying." Hope says as her eyes grow wide with shock.

I just hate the thought of someone doing those things to you. It makes me sick." I say as I shake my head in disgust.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you. Now you're upset because of me!" Hope exclaims.

"Darling, that is absolutely untrue. Nothing you've done has upset me. It's his actions that are causing me pain. Besides, I'd rather know the truth than be left in the dark about what happened. I have a wild imagination, Hope. All weekend I've been thinking of the worst things he could have possibly done to you." I say with a shutter.

"How could it be any worse?" Hope asks with a puzzled expression on her face.

"You don't want to know, sweetheart. I'm just so happy that you're safe with me. Nothing will ever happen to you while you're close to me. Ever since you were a little girl I've wished I could glue you to me. I just wish I was capable of keeping you safe every second of everyday." I confess.

"I know you do." Hope says as she stares into my blue eyes.

Before I can respond, Aria bursts into the kitchen. Tears are pouring out of her hazel eyes and she looks as though she's just committed murder. What's going on here? Aria hasn't looked this frantic since we visited Hope in the hospital. I thought she was finally starting to feel better.

"Mommy, you're back. Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?" Hope asks with panic in her voice.

"Come to me, darling." Aria says as her tone turns serious.

Hope nods before springing to her feet and walking over to Aria. My wife responds by wrapping her arms around Hope and holding her so tightly that I doubt she can breathe. Hope begins to sob into her mother's chest but Aria merely shushes her.

"Don't cry, beautiful. You haven't done anything wrong since we brought you home from the hospital fourteen years ago. You are the most pure and perfect thing in my life, so please don't think that you've ever done anything to upset me." Aria says as she begins to rub Hope's back gently.

"But Mommy..." Hope starts to ramble.

"But nothing, Hope. You're absolutely perfect and I love you more than anything in the entire world. Go upstairs to your room. I'll be up there in a few minutes and we can have a talk." Aria instructs.

"W-Why do I have to go upstairs?" Hope asks as she furrows her brow in confusion.

"Because I need to have a serious talk with your father. Please go." Aria begs with desperation in her voice.

Hope looks disappointed but she finally nods her head and hurries upstairs to her bedroom. Perfect. Now it's just me and Aria, and I can ask her what the hell is going on here. Why did she send Hope out? This must be serious.

"Aria, is everything okay? Why did you make Hope leave?" I ask with concern in my voice.

Aria doesn't say a word. Instead she hurries over to the kitchen table and takes a seat on my lap. She runs her fingers through my hair before throwing her arms around me and kissing my forehead softly.

"You were so right, Ezra. We have to tell Hope the truth as soon as possible." Aria says as she stares into my blue eyes.

"What's with the change of heart?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"While I was running, a group of reporters came up to me. They started asked me questions." Aria says with an involuntary shutter.

"What kinds of questions?" I ask her gently.

"Personal questions. You know, ones about Nick and the room. The entire time I kept asking myself what would have happened if I had brought Hope along with me. Ezra, if she finds out from the reporters she'll be absolutely devastated. We've kept her sheltered for years, but one of these days someone is going to pop her little bubble." Aria says with a breathy sigh.

"You don't have to convince me, Aria. We're on the same side of this argument now. I think we need to tell Hope, but I don't know how we're going to break the truth to her." I confess.

"I do. I have the perfect way to tell Hope about our family's past. But Ezra... It might seem crazy at first. I just-I just need you to trust me completely." Aria says as her tone turns serious.

"Of course I trust you, Aria. I've trusted you since the first day I saw you at that bar." I tell my wife.

"Perfect." Aria mutters before leaning into me and whispering her entire plan. By the time she's done, I'm in complete shock. Why would Aria want to tell Hope in such an impersonal way?

"Are you crazy?" I ask as I pull away from my wife.

"You said you trusted me." Aria says with hurt in her voice.

"I do, but this is ludicrous. We can't do that to her, Aria." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"We have to, Ezra. It's the only way I'll be able to get this off my chest. Please just trust me. Trust me even more than you ever had before." Aria begs with desperation I her voice.

"Darling, I couldn't trust you even more if I tried. If you feel so strongly about this, we'll do it your way. Frankly, I don't have another alternative." I say with a sigh of defeat.

"You won't regret this, Ezra." Aria murmurs before throwing her arms around me while I silently pray that she is right.

AN: Did you like this chapters? What did you think of the Aria and Ezra scenes and the Ezra and Hope scene? How will Aria tell Hope? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading and have a nice Christmas.


	10. Telling Hope

Hope's POV

There are a lot of things that I don't know about my mother. To start, I don't know why she's always "gone" and what the cause of her severe anxiety is. I also don't know what my mom does for a living. Well, I know she's a motivational speaker, but I have no idea what she tells her audience. Maybe that's why I'm so surprised that my mom is letting me come to work with her today.

"Are you okay?" I ask as I glance at my mom who is gripping the steering wheel as though her life depends on it.

"I'm fine." My mom says as she forces a smile.

I nod as my mom pulls into the Hollis parking lot. Apparently my parents both used to work here before they decided to pursue other things. I wonder what motivated my dad to become an author and my mom a speaker.

"Are you ready to go?" My mom asks as she parks the car.

"Yep." I say as I hop out of the car and shut the door behind me.

As soon as we approach the auditorium, my mom stops abruptly. Before I can question her actions, my mom envelopes me in a hug and begins to kiss my forehead repeatedly. I appreciate her kind gesture, but I still have no idea what's going on here.

"Sweetheart, some of the things I talk about today might shock you... And I mean shock you. No matter how upset or afraid you feel during the speech, I want you to know that it's going to be okay. I'm okay, Gregory's okay, Daddy's okay, and you're okay. Do you understand?" My mom asks as she stares directly into my hazel eyes.

"Yeah, but don't worry. I don't think anything you say will upset me too much. I already know about A and your friend Alison, so I doubt I'll be too surprised." I say with a shrug.

"It's not about high school so get that out of your head." My mom says as her tone turns serious.

"Then what's it about?" I ask her curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough." My mom mutters before entering the auditorium and closing the door behind her.

A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I realize that the entire auditorium is filled up. I don't see a single empty seat in this building. Who knew that my mom was so popular? She must be really good at what she does if so many people are here to see her.

"Honey, I asked the dean to save a spot for you in the back." My mom whispers as she gestures towards a single chair that is isolated from all of the other ones.

"Why am I so far back?" I ask as I furrow my brow in confusion.

"I don't want you to hold back if you need to cry. I figured no one would bother you back there." My mom says as she rests a hand on my shoulder.

Why is my mom so sure I'm going to cry? Obviously she's being her usual dramatic self. I try to suppress an eye roll as I step away from my mom and towards the lonely chair in the back.

"Remember that I love you, Hope." My mom calls out after me.

"I will." I mutter without looking back.

Line Break

My mom doesn't start talking right away like I thought she would. After I sat down she went back stage, and I haven't seen her in almost half an hour. After what seems like eternity, she finally emerges from the wings and takes seat on the chair that rests on the stage. A man comes out from the wings and hands her a microphone and a bottle of water. I see my mom thank him as he walks off stage.

"Hello, everyone." My mom says, eliciting complete silence from the audience.

"It's truly an honor to be sitting here today. Many of you know that Hollis has always been an important part of my childhood and young adult life. When I was growing up, my father was an art history professor here on campus. As a teenager, I feel in love with a certain Hollis English professor who now happens to be my husband. Oops." My mom says as the entire room bursts into laughter.

"So growing up I spent a lot of time here. I got to spend even more time on campus when I started teaching here after I graduated from The University of Pennsylvania with an English degree. I see a lot of familiar faces in the crowd today, and I'm sure some of you remember me as the twenty-four year old girl I was when I worked here. For those of you who don't recognize me, I don't blame you. I'm a lot different now. For starters, my hair is a lot darker and longer, and I don't currently have a Starbucks cup in my hands. Even though I've been blessed with two beautiful children, I was eventually able to kill that habit." My mom says as the crowd begins to laugh even harder if that's humanly possible.

"Right now I'm laughing and a lot of you are laughing, and I don't blame you. I've been told on many occasions that I'm an incredibly funny person, but what I'm going to be discussing today probably won't strike you as funny. It's certainly not funny to me, and I doubt it will be funny to a room full of educators. I was a professor once, so I know exactly what drives and motivates all of you. You don't become a professor because you want to become famous or make a lot of money. You do it because you are inspired by learning and knowledge, and you want to make the world a better place by educating young and bright minds. Sometimes during this process you forget that there is still evil in the world. None of you want to think about this evil because you don't want to imagine that something terrible might happen to the young people who you teach on a daily basis." My mom says, as an eerie silence falls over the room.

"The funny thing about young people is that they never think that anything bad will happen to them. I remember my college days so clearly. I thought I was invincible and that nothing would get in the way of the perfect life I had planned for myself. For those of you who don't know, I graduated from college when I was twenty-two years old. I walked down the aisle with the love of my life a few months later and by the time I was twenty five we were expecting our first child. And everything was perfect. So perfect, that I thought nothing would ever knock me off my pedestal. Gosh, if only I had known how wrong I was... I didn't just get knocked off my pedestal. I got pushed so hard that I completely broke. All it took was a single second. In that single second, I lost everything. My husband, my innocence, my sense of security, and so many other things that I'll never get back."

What? My mom didn't lose her husband. Her and my dad have been married ever since she was twenty-two years old! What in the world is she talking about?

"When I first started my speaking career I used to get so nervous. Telling people my story was incredibly difficult because it often felt like I was relieving the experience over and over again. Fortunately, I've gotten so used to sharing this side of me that I hardly ever get phased when I speak in front of large groups. Today is different though. Like I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of familiar faces in the audience today. Telling my story to people that I'm close to or even know is significantly harder than telling it to a room full of strangers. If I get teary eyed or emotional during any part of this speech, please bear with me. If those of you who know me personally start to feel upset or anxious, just remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel." My mom as as she glances directly at me.

"Now that I have that off my chest, I'll start from the beginning. As I mentioned earlier, I married my husband Ezra when I was twenty-two years old and right out of college. A lot of my friends and family disagreed with my decision to marry so young and now that I have a little girl of my own, I can see where they were coming from at the time. You have a lot to learn about yourself after you graduate from college and get out into the real world. Most of the time adding marriage to that equation is a recipe for disaster but fortunately it wasn't for me. I started dating Ezra when I was sixteen years old, and I can confidently tell everyone here that we were made for each other. I made the right decision to walk down the aisle with him because we are still happily married and very much in love-" My mom starts to say before the audience starts to clap and cheer.

"Thank you, thank you. I know how much Americans love a sappy love story. So when Ezra and I first got married we bought a modest home about a mile from here, and we still live there to this day. Our early marriage was going so well that about a year into it, Ezra sat me down and asked if I was ready for children. At first I was a bit hesitant given my age and rising career, but I eventually decided that there wasn't a single thing I wanted more. That's when we started, em, trying to get pregnant." My mom says as I let out an involuntary shutter.

"Unfortunately the road to motherhood wasn't as easy as I expected it to be. Ezra and I tried for a baby for about two years before we ended up conceiving. The day I found out I was pregnant with our first child was easily one of the happiest days of my life. Ezra was also ecstatic and the next few months were a dream. I fell even deeper in love with my husband and we spent all of our free time thinking of names for the baby while we put together a nursery that was right next to our master bedroom. About five months into the pregnancy, I found out that I was having a little boy. Even though I had initially wanted a baby girl, It was surprisingly refreshing that my first child was going to be a boy. I guess I figured that a boy would be less drama and that he'd look like his handsome Daddy." My mom says as the entire crowd "ahhhs" at her words.

"The day I found out the gender of my first child was probably the most defining moment of my life. After our appointment, my husband had to teach a class at Hollis. I didn't have any other classes to teach that day, so I figured I'd go for a nice and relaxing walk at the park near my house. I can assure you that the walk was anything but relaxing. About halfway into it, a middle aged man came up and started... Flirting with me. At first I didn't think much of it other than that the man was incredibly strange, but he gradually started getting more and more aggressive. I quickly realized that I was in danger, so I began to scream for help. Unfortunately it was about four o'clock on a Tuesday so everyone was either at work at home with their families. Before I could think to run, the man pushed me up against a tree and held a knife right against my baby bump. He handed me a pill and told me to swallow it or he'd kill the baby." My mom says with a breathy sigh.

Wait- Was my mom raped too? Maybe that's what she was so afraid to tell me. But why? Why was she so adamant on me not knowing?

"A few hours later I woke up into the worst nightmare of my life. I was completely naked and chained to a bed in a room I'd never seen before. Before I could gauge what was going on, the man entered the room and introduced himself as Nick. At first I thought that the entire ordeal was about money and that after my husband paid a ransom, I'd be released. I figured out that Nick didn't kidnap me for money when he told me that he had raped me multiple times while I was unconscious. Nick then proceeded to tell me that I was his property and that he'd keep me with him until the day we both died."

Oh my God...

"I was terribly afraid at first but I don't think the truth hit me right away. The first few days Nick hardly bothered me. He kept me chained to the bed and only came into the room to feed or change me. I just kept telling myself that this was only temporary and that Ezra would find me soon. A few days turned into a few weeks and I finally realized that this wasn't going to be an easy fix... That Nick had me hidden really well. The day I realized this was the day Nick unchained me and told me that he was going to allow me to shower. I didn't want to shower in front of him, but Nick promised that he'd give me privacy. I was so desperate to clean myself that I believed him. As I was shampooing my hair Nick entered the shower and wrapped his cold hands around my neck. He told me that if I cried or screamed, he'd kill me. Before I could respond, Nick started raping me right there in the shower. It was the first time he'd raped me while I was conscious and it was the most horrid moment of my entire life. I felt so dirty... So violated. After Nick was done, he took me back to bed and told me that he wouldn't chain me anymore. He raped me on the bed before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. I tried to find a way out of the room that night but it was impossible. There were no windows and the door could only be opened using Nick's finger print." My mom says as several people in the audience begin to sigh and whisper amongst themselves.

"Nick started raping me everyday after that. Every time he did it, a little piece of me died. Still, I hadn't been completely destroyed yet. I was so eager to get out of that room and find Ezra that I started plotting. One night after Nick raped me, he fell asleep on my bed. I wrapped my hands around his neck and tried my best to choke him. I figured if I killed him, I could drag his body across the room and use his finger to open the door. Nick woke up and pushed me off of him before any real damage was done. Surprisingly he didn't beat me that night. He did, however, threatened to stab me to death if I ever tried anything like that ever again. I lost all hope that night. I thought I'd never be able to escape from that damn room, and I was desperate to find a way to kill myself. Fortunately before I could, something absolutely amazing happened. I went into labor."

Gregory was born inside of that room? That means my mom was in there for at least four months. No wonder she has so much anxiety. That seems so scary.

"As many of the ladies in here can probably imagine, giving birth in a dusty room was not one of the better experiences of my life. I was in so much physical and emotional pain that I was convinced I was going to die in labor. Fortunately I didn't, and about two hours after my water broke, I heard the sound of my baby boy crying. I-I was so desperate to hold him, but Nick didn't let me at first. After he cut the chord, Nick took the baby into his arms and started walking towards the door. I begged and cried for Nick to give the little boy to me but he refused. According to Nick, the baby would get in the way of my ability to love him. I-I thought on my feet and told Nick that it wasn't true. I convinced him that I was in love with him and wanted for us to raise the baby together. Nick eventually decided to let me keep the baby, but only on the condition that I would never speak my husband's name again. And I agreed. After Nick left, I spent the rest of the night holding my baby and kissing his little face. For the first time since I'd been taken, I was truly and genuinely happy. Nothing seemed to matter anymore after I held Gregory Ezra Fitz for the first time. For those of you who are wondering, I named him Gregory because that was his father's absolute favorite name." My mom says with a teary smile.

"I-I thought that Nick would leave me alone for a few days since I had just given birth, but I was wrong. Less than twenty-four hours after I had Gregory he came into the room, put the baby on the cold floor, and raped me. The entire time he was on top of me, I could hear my little boy crying and screaming. Even though he was far too young to understand what was going on, I felt incredibly uncomfortable doing that with my son in the room. I asked Nick if we could um, have sex, somewhere else since there was a baby in the picture. The next day Nick came into my room and held a knife to my throat. Then, he told me not to fight him or he'd kill me on the spot. Nick walked me down the hall to his room and raped me there. It became somewhat of a pattern. I'd spend the day caring and ogling over my baby, and I'd spend the night being raped and abused by that man. I-It was horrible, but I felt so much happier than I did before Gregory was born. Even though I was stuck in a living hell, that baby boy gave me a purpose. I had someone to love, and I knew my only job was to protect Gregory."

"When Gregory was a baby, things were so easy. He was just a little person who giggled and ate and cried... Things got harder when he started walking and talking. By the time he was a year old, Gregory got bored of laying in my arms all day. I realized that I would have to make an entire world for that little boy out of a microscopic room. That's when I started scheduling our days. I still remember the first schedule I ever made for Gregory when he was a year old. Eight to nine was wake up and breakfast time. From nine to eleven I would sing songs, and he would dance and hum along with me. At eleven I would breast feed him and he usually fell asleep by about noon. I wouldn't wake Gregory up from his nap until around three. After he woke up, I'd let Gregory play with the "toys" I made for him. These toys consisted of empty salt shakers, little figures I made out of newspapers, and even an old sports bra that Nick bought for me. I know that sounds crazy, but the sports bra made a really good super hero cape." My mom says as she begins to laugh along with the audience.

"Unfortunately the makeshift toys didn't entertain Gregory forever so from four to five o'clock I let Gregory watch TV. Nick gave us the cheapest TV I'd ever seen and only provided us with the most basic cable, but Gregory still enjoyed it. I could tell that his little mind was infatuated by the figures on the screen, and I was terrified that he'd start asking questions when he got a bit older. Still, I let the TV stay. Five o'clock was dinner time. Nick didn't really give us much food, so usually all we had was some bread and cheese. I didn't want Gregory to become malnourished, so I stopped eating dinner all together and gave him my portions." My mom says as the audience gasps.

"It wasn't as bad as you think. I had breakfast and lunch everyday. Sometimes Nick would buy me milk, and if I was super hungry at night, I'd sip on that. Hunger was a huge problem for me when I was first captured, but after a few months my body became accustomed to small serving sizes. It wasn't the worst thing I had to deal with. Where was I? Oh yeah. By five thirty Gregory was done eating, so I read him stories. We only had about three books in the room, so I had to make my own. I asked Nick to buy me crayons and colored pencils and he surprisingly agreed. Fortunately Nick had plenty of paper around the house, so that wasn't a problem. I was a former English professor and art had always been a hobby of mine, so I actually enjoyed making the books. Whenever I had a minute, whether Gregory was napping or watching TV, I'd put the books together. Usually I had time to make between three and five books a day, so luckily Gregory never got tired of them. I'd read to him until Nick came to get me at around eight o'clock, and then I'd have to kiss Gregory goodbye. Saying goodbye to Gregory was easily the hardest part of the day. It was even worse than being raped. The poor baby would always cry and beg me not to leave. There wasn't anything I could do to make it better, so leaving him broke my heart. Nick would usually drag me to the room after about five hours of pure torture, and Gregory was usually sound asleep by the time I got back. If he was asleep, I'd cry. If he wasn't, I'd hold the tears back and hold him until morning came. I-I just hated when he saw me cry. Even at a young age, Gregory was incredibly protective of me, and whenever I cried he cried too." My mom says with a long sigh.

I try to listen to what my mom is saying, but I can't comprehend a single word that comes out of her mouth. This isn't right. Surely she's playing a trick on me. These kinds of things aren't supposed to happen to people like her.

"The biggest turning point came when Gregory was five years old. Though he was as sweet as ever, he was becoming more and more curious. It was getting hard to dodge some of his questions, and I started lashing out on him more than I should have. I just- I wanted to keep him sheltered from the truth for as long as possible. Unfortunately, that became impossible when Nick brought home a present from me one day. It was my husband's best selling book "Meet Me After Class", which I'm sure all of you have read." My mom says as her cheeks turn bright pink.

"Ezra wrote that book after I disappeared, and it was essentially our love story. I remember flipping to the back of the book and seeing his beautiful face staring back at me... It was the first time I'd seen his face in over five years. That night I showed Gregory the book and told him that the author was his daddy. Gregory asked why he wasn't with us, and I was forced to tell him everything. I think- I think the truth completely changed Gregory. He used to feel so safe and secure, but the truth swept that sense of security from him. Even though he's an incredibly happy and successful young man now, I still see some of that fear in him. It's made him stronger in the long run, but it breaks me heart that he had to endure all of that pain." My mom says as her eyes dart over to me.

"After Gregory learned that Nick had taken us from Ezra, he started getting angry. Gregory started challenging Nick, which didn't make our captor happy in the slightest. One night when Nick came to get me, Gregory threw a fit. My son told Nick not to take me because he wanted me with him. Nick was so fed up with Gregory that he grabbed the little boy and dragged him to his room across the hall. He stuck Gregory in the closet and proceeded to rape me while he was a few feet away." My mom says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"And I was terrified because how are you supposed to explain rape to a five year old? When we got back to our room, Gregory told me he hadn't seen anything, which I later found out was a lie to protect my feelings. It was just horrible. It got even worse when I found out that I was pregnant with Nick's child." My mom says as the entire room gasps.

W-Wait... What if I'm Nick's child? Is my father the monster who hurt my mom and brother? If that's the case, I hate myself.

"Gregory was ecstatic to have a baby brother or sister, but the thought of having Nick's child made me feel sick. I was terrified that I would give birth to a monster who looked just like the man who kidnapped me. I tried to tell myself that it wasn't the baby's fault, and that he or she was just as innocent as Gregory, but it was useless. I hated that baby. Still, my heart broke when I woke up in pain one night. I looked down and realized my sheets were soaked in blood. I realized that I was having a miscarriage, so I started screaming. Nick came running into the room, and he quickly realized what was going on. Nick was so angry at me for losing his child, that he pushed me to the ground and started beating me. I didn't even feel any pain because I was so busy thinking about the child I had lost. I kept telling myself that it was my fault, and that the baby would have been fine if I had loved it more. As I was thinking these thoughts, everything around me disappeared. When I woke up I wasn't in the room anymore. I was in a hospital room." My mom says as everyone begins to cheer.

"I was told by the doctors that Nick left the door to the room opened. He was so focused on beating me, that he didn't even noticed when Gregory ran out. The little boy called the police like I told him to do if he ever got out of the room. My son saved my life. At first I was relieved to be out of that prison, but I panicked when I saw my husband hovering over my hospital bed. When I was in the room, I'd dream of seeing Ezra again. You'd think I'd be happy, but I wasn't. It was so weird. Imagine seeing your soul mate for the first time in over five years, and not knowing him anymore. Neither one of us knew what the other person had been through, and we had no idea what to say or how to act. Still, I quickly realized that it didn't matter much. He was still Ezra, and I loved Ezra. Even though my disappearance had driven him to alcoholism, I agreed to move back in with him if he stopped drinking. It was the best decision I've ever made because Ezra helped me heal in ways that no one else could. I got comfortable enough to tell him everything that had happened to me, and he showered me with unconditional love and support. He was also an incredible father to Gregory, and I was so grateful for that. Still, things were hard. Gregory was so lost and confused at first, and he essentially had to relearn life."

"I, on the other hand, was reentering the world I used to know. Seeing friends and family was always hard, and I hated that I had caused so many people pain. I kept telling myself that Ezra and Gregory were both suffering because of me, and I eventually came to the conclusion that they'd be better off without me. About seven months after my release, I had a terrible falling out with my best friend. I'm not going to go into detail, but it was ugly. That night I decided I'd had enough, and I swallowed a handful of pills." My mom says as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"The doctors told me I was lucky. They said it was a miracle that I had survived, and that I should be incredibly happy that my friend called the police after she realized what I was going to do. The thing is... I wasn't happy. I was still severely depressed, and I blamed myself for everything. This is incredibly common for victims of sexual assault. They think everything is their fault, when in reality it isn't. My husband helped me realize this, and he talked some serious sense into me. It took a lot of persuasion, but I eventually agreed to check myself into a rehabilitation center. The time I spent there completely changed my life. For the first time, I realized that the what happened wasn't my fault. I-I learned to accept that I couldn't take back the past, so I started living for the future. After about two months, my therapist decided that I was well enough to return home. I got to see my baby boy on Christmas, which also happened to be his sixth birthday. It might have been the happiest day of my life." My mom says as a smile begins to form on her face.

"It got even happier because that night, my husband and I slept together for the first time in years. Initially, people always wonder why I share that detail. It seems too personal and kind of insignificant, doesn't it? Well, it's not. That night the condom broke, and three months later I found out I was pregnant for the third time. On September seventeenth, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I decided to name her Hope because her existence is proof that there is always hope and light in this crazy and chaotic world. Holding little Hope for the first time stirred all kinds of emotions in me. Obviously I was incredibly happy to be blessed with a precious baby girl, but I was also terrified. She was so small, and I loved her more than I thought I could love anyone. I just- I never wanted her to get like I did. It was, and still is my absolute worst nightmare." My mom says with a breathy sigh.

"Many of you may be asking yourself what the point of this talk was. I'm sure you thought it was an interesting story but are wondering how it relates to you. It relates to you because every one hundred and seven seconds, a person living in this country is sexually assaulted. One in every six girls will be raped in their lifetime and so will one in every twenty one men. To make matters even worse, 22.9 people in the world are victims of human trafficking. You might think to yourself, "That's sad, but it doesn't make a difference in my life." Guess what, it does. This could affect your students, your friends, your children, or maybe even you. You might think you and your loved ones are exempt from sexual assault, but you're not. For crying out loud, look at me. I was an upper middle class woman who attended an Ivy League school and was blessed with an incredible husband. I never thought anything like this would happen to me, but it did. Do you want to know what the saddest part of all of this is? My story got tons of media coverage because I was a cute and privileged young woman who had to raise a baby in captivity. Even though my case rose awareness of the issue, there are thousands of girls and boys in the United States who have lived the same story as me. The only difference is that theirs didn't get media coverage. Maybe they died, or maybe no one wanted to listen. It doesn't matter. We cannot let their pain and suffering be in vain." My mom says as her tone turns serious.

"So is there a way to make sexual assault disappear completely? Unfortunately, there isn't. Even though we can't get rid of it completely, we can make it better and bring these outrageous statistics down. We can do that by being a voice for those who have had theirs stolen from them. I believe that every single person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, and I hope everyone in this room does too. This year, men and women will be raped on this very campus. It's unacceptable. You, as educators, have a responsibility to your students and to society to be aware of this issue. Teach your students the importance of respecting others while making sure they stay happy and safe. Listen to those who have been sexually abused and convince them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Most importantly, educate your students on the problem that is sexual assault. Motivate them to become compassionate individuals who want to make a difference in this world. Because at the end of the day, it's on us. It's on us to protect our loved ones and to stop sexual abuse. If this problem hasn't affected you yet, wait for it. If we don't change, eventually it will. Thank you." My mom says as the audience begins to cheer.

AN: So Hope finally knows the truth. What do you think she'll say to Aria? Do you think Aria told her in an appropriate way, or was it impersonal like Ezra said? Also, what did you think of Aria's speech? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading and Happy New Years Eve.


	11. The Reaction

Aria's POV

My entire body feels numb. I finished the first part of my talk and now it's time for the question and answer section. Usually I wouldn't feel this anxious, but I can't stop thinking about Hope. I keep trying to read her facial expressions, but she's too far away. I have no idea how she's taking the news, and I wish I could jump off the stage and envelop her in a hug.

"Now that I've finished my story, I want to give you the opportunity to ask me any questions that you might have. If you have a question, please raise your hand. I'll try my best to answer all of them." I say as I force a smile.

About twenty hands shoot up, but the only one I care about is Hope's. Does she honestly want to ask me a question in front of all these people? Maybe it's urgent.

"Yes. The girl in the very back." I say as I gesture towards my daughter.

"You mentioned that you kept a lot of this stuff from your daughter so you could keep her sheltered. How do you justify all of the lies and secrets?" Hope spits out.

My entire body goes numb and heads in the room begin to turn. Probably because I never mentioned keeping my daughter sheltered during the talk. I seriously hope that nobody suspects anything. I don't want them to give poor Hope a hard time.

"A lot of people ask me that question, actually. A lot of my friends and family think that I've done my daughter a disservice by keeping her so sheltered. I don't know. Maybe I have done her a disservice. The only thing I can really tell you is that hurting my daughter was never my intention. I've always tried to make decisions that would be in Hope's best interest, but unfortunately I'm not a perfect mom. I wish I was, but I'm not. I just hope that my children can see past my shortcomings and realize how much I love them. Do we have any other questions?" I ask as I try to calm my heavy breathing.

After the second and final part of of my talk ended, a crowd of people gathered around me. This is typical after talks like these. I always get told that I'm a huge inspiration, and today is no exception. As one of my former colleagues gushes about how proud she is of me, I can't help but feel guilty. I certainly don't feel like Wonder Woman they keep describing me as. I feel like a failure because I know my daughter is hurting.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hope strolling around the stage area. She looks incredibly distraught, and I don't blame her. I just dropped a huge bombshell on my daughter, and I should be comforting her instead of chatting it up with the professors.

"If you'll all excuse me, there is someone I really need to speak with." I mutter before making my way through the thick crowd.

Without saying a word, I grab Hope's arm and drag her into the wings. No one will be able to bother us here. As soon as we're out of sight, I pull my little girl in for a hug. To my dismay, she pulls away almost immediately.

"Hope..." I start to ramble.

"I fucking hate you." She says before pushing me away and sprinting out the back door.

Ezra's POV

I try to focus on the novel in my hands, but I can't. The only thing I can focus on is Hope. She probably already knows the truth, and I wonder how she's taking the news. I glance down at my watch and sigh when I realize that it's already four o'clock. Aria should have been home half an hour ago. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. Seriously wrong.

I breathe out a sigh of relief when the front door creeps open. That must be Aria and Hope. All of the relief drains from my body when I realize that it's my turn to answer questions. I wonder if Aria has answered most of them already. What if Hope's crying? I don't know how many more of her crying fits I can handle.

To my surprise, Aria is the one who's crying. Tears are spilling out of her hazel eyes, and her eye makeup is completely smeared. I suppose it's understandable. The past few hours have been emotionally draining for my wife, and I'd be concerned if she wasn't crying. Hope is probably crying too, but I can't verify that. I can't verify it because Hope is nowhere in sight.

"Aria, where is Hope?" I ask as I spring to my feet.

"I don't- I don't know, Ezra." Aria says as she shakes her head slowly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"I tried to speak with her after I finished giving my talk. I pulled her into the wings, and she announced that she fucking hated me. Then she ran out, and I haven't seen her since." Aria says through her tears.

"You didn't go after her?" I ask as my voice begins to soften.

"Of course I didn't! She said she hated me, Ezra. I know she didn't mean it, but she obviously needs her space right now. I just- I just want to give her some time to think things through." Aria says with a sniffle.

"Think things through? Aria, the news she just received is earth shattering. I know you want to give her space, but this is ridiculous. She can think things through in the safety of our home!" I exclaim.

"Give her time, Ezra. This is classic Hope. She gets angry and storms off, but she always comes back to us. She'll be back within the next hour, and then the three of us can have a talk." Aria says as she rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Aria, this time is different. She's not upset about us grounding her for the weekend. She's upset because she just found out that her entire childhood has been a lie. We need to find her. I don't want her to do something stupid." I say with panic in my voice.

"Y-You don't think she'd do something dangerous, do you Ezra?" Aria asks as her eyes grow wide with worry.

"I don't know, honey. Under the right circumstances, anything is possible. Why don't you wait here while I try to find Hope?" I suggest.

"Okay. If you think that will help." Aria says as even more tears begin to spill out of her eyes.

"It will. And, Aria... Hope doesn't hate you. She loves you and so does Gregory. Regardless of how you're feeling right now, you're the best mother that this world has ever seen." I say as I turn to face my wife.

"A-Are you sure?" Aria ask with disbelief in her voice.

"Darling, I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life." I tell her truthfully.

Line Break

When Hope was seven years old, she ran away from home. Aria told her that she couldn't go on a class field trip to New York, so she stormed out of the house and vowed never to come back. Aria was on the verge of a panic attack, but I wasn't phased in the slightest. I might not be the perfect father, but I know my daughter. I drove down to the park and found Hope playing on the monkey bars. That's where Hope is now. She's at the park. I know she is.

After I park my car, I sprint towards the seemingly empty play structure. Sure enough, Hope is sitting on the swings and staring down at the sand. Tears are pouring out of her hazel eyes, and the sight alone tugs at my already worn down heartstrings.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" I ask as I gesture towards the empty swing next to my daughter.

Hope gasps, and notices me for the first time since my arrival. The girl goes from looking sad to angry in less than a second, and I feel incredibly helpless all of the sudden.

"Yes, of course I mind." Hope growls.

"Why?" I ask her softly.

"Because I hate you too! I hate all of you!" Hope says as she begins to raise her voice.

I sigh, before taking a seat next to the girl I helped bring into this world. To my surprise, she doesn't run away. Instead, she stares at me with a shocked expression on her face.

"I hate me too, sometimes." I confess.

"Y-You do?" Hope asks me skeptically.

"How could I not? I remember holding you in my arms for the first time and wishing that the world was perfect for your sake. I never wanted you to get hurt, and now look at you! You're sitting in an empty park and crying all alone. To make matters worse, it's my fault. You're upset because you feel betrayed by me." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"Is this the park where it happened?" Hope asks me suddenly.

"Excuse me?" I ask with confusion in my voice.

"Is this the park where Mom was kidnapped?" Hope clarifies.

"Yes it was." I say with a nod.

To my dismay, Hope begins to cry even harder if that's humanly possible. I wish I could take all of the pain away. I can't even begin to imagine the hurt and the shock that Hope is going through.

"I can't believe you kept that from me. I can't believe you used to take me here and let me believe that nothing was wrong. This used to be favorite place in the world, Daddy. Why did you do it? Why didn't you tell me?" Hope asks through her heavy sobs.

"Oh sweetheart, don't cry." I say as tears begin to form in my own eyes.

"How can I not cry? You lied to me. I trusted you, and you lied!" Hope exclaims.

"You mentioned that this park used to be your favorite place in the world. That implies that it's not your favorite place anymore." I spit out.

"How could it be my favorite place? T-That man took my mom away here. I can never see it the same way again." Hope says in a shaky voice.

"Darling, that's exactly why we didn't tell you the truth sooner." I say to the girl.

"Because you didn't want me to dislike the park?" Hope asks with a puzzled expression on her face.

"No, because we didn't want you to dislike the world you were brought into." I explain.

"I don't- I don't understand." Hope says with a sniffle.

"Hope, it's been almost sixteen years since your mother has been home. All that time has gone by, and I'm still scared. There are times when your mother is at work, and I can't shake the feeling that she won't be coming home at the end of the day. Sometimes I see a bottle of alcohol, and I become paranoid that I'll drink it and lose control again. I look at you, and I'm terrified that someone will steal you from us. Hope, your mother and brother are even more scared than I am. They had to live with that man for over five years, and they're never going to be able to fully recover from that. I wish I could tell you that they will someday, but that would be lying. And now... Everything has changed for you. You're scared too." I say as tears begin to spill out of my eyes.

"I'm not scared, Dad. I'm terrified." Hope blurts out.

"I know you are. I'm terrified too. I bet sitting in this park makes you feel sick to your stomach. It still makes me feel sick to think about Nick... Never mind. I don't want you to stop coming to this park, Hope, because it used to bring you so much joy. I'm worried that you'll be too afraid to leave the house alone. As much as I wish you could stay with us, you need to grow and become independent. I fear that you'll see men on the street and turn around without giving them a chance. There are more than enough Nicks and Owens out there, but there are also a lot men like Gregory who want to love girls like you. This might sound like a silly question, but are you afraid that you'll become a scared person?" I question.

"Yes." Hope says with a whimper.

"Your mother and I never wanted you to be scared, Hope. Gregory didn't get much of a childhood, but you actually got the chance to be a kid. We didn't want to strip you of your innocence or youth prematurely." I say as I stoke my daughter's cheek.

"Why? Did you think I wasn't strong enough to handle the truth?" Hope questions.

"Of course not! You're strong like your mom, and I always knew that about you. We didn't want to tell you the truth because we didn't have the heart to expose a beautiful baby girl to such ugliness. It had nothing to do with you, Hope." I tell her gently.

"I just feel like such an idiot. The entire world knew about Mom, and I didn't. Am I stupid or something?" Hope asks as she looks up at me.

"Hope, never say that about yourself again. You're not stupid. We just loved you a lot, and we got really good at sheltering you from the outside world." I say as my tone turns serious.

"I just- I just don't know how to feel about all of this. I don't know whether I should be angry at you and mom, or feel sorry that you had to go through all of that. I don't know you anymore, Daddy." Hope says as she begins to choke on her own tears.

"No, no. Don't say that. You know me, Hope. You know your mother and Gregory too. We're the exact same people who raised and protected you. What happened to your mother doesn't define our family and it shouldn't define you either." I tell the girl.

"I just feel so sad." Hope says with a breathy sigh.

"That's understandable. Your mom's story is sad, but it's happy too. She survived, and now she has a family that would do anything for her. God gave her a second chance, Hope. If you let him, he'll give you that chance too. And your mother understands what you went through with Owen. She knows better than anyone what it feels like to be taken advantage of. She can help you through it, Hope." I say, trying to convince her.

"Why would she want to help me through it? She thinks I hate her." Hope says with a sniffle.

"No she doesn't, Hope. She knows that you were just upset, and she loves you more than anything in the world!" I exclaim as I get off the swing and wrap my arms around Hope.

Hope hugs me back, and I hold her so tightly that I doubt she can breathe. I got her. I got my little girl back.

"Don't let us get hurt anymore, Daddy." Hope sobs into my chest.

"Never." I say before kissing the top of my daughter's head.

AN: What did you think of this chapter? Were you surprised by Hope's reaction and did she have the right to be angry? Did you like the scene with Ezra and Hope? Will Hope and Aria make amends? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading :)


	12. Forgiveness

AN: I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. Life has been crazy. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Gregory's POV

This morning, I woke up to a chilling text from my mother. She told me that she was telling Hope the truth today, so I might want to be home to support her. Part of me is relieved that my mom already told Hope, but the other part of me is furious. Why would my mom tell Hope the truth without me there? I wanted to be there to comfort her, but my parents obviously didn't think it was important.

When I pull into the driveway, I see my mother sitting on the porch swing in our front yard. What is she doing outside, and why isn't Hope with her? I immediately park my car and hurry over to my mother. I was angry at her before, but now I'm even more angry. She should be with Hope right now.

"What are you going out here?" I ask as I cross my arms over my chest.

"Gregory, it's nice to see you. I was just looking through some old photo albums. Look at this picture of you and Hope. Weren't you two just adorable?" My mom gushes as she points to a picture of me holding Hope when she was an infant.

"I guess." I say with a shrug.

"This is my personal favorite. Don't you have the most beautiful baby sister in the entire world?" My mom asks she gestures towards a picture of Hope on the other side of the page. Hope is only about four years old in the picture and she's wearing a ballerina costume. Her smile is wider than Texas, and her hazel eyes are lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yes. I do." I say as I nod my head in agreement.

"Sit." My mom instructs as her eyes dart over to the empty space on the porch swing. I nod before taking a seat next to my mother, who immediately wraps a single arm around my shoulder.

"Thanks for coming home. Hope really needs you." My mom says as she stares into the blue eyes that I inherited from my father.

"So you told her about the room? How did she take it?" I ask my mother curiously.

"Not well, honey. Hope told me that she hated me, and then she ran away." My mom says with a breathy sigh.

Even though I disagree with a lot of my mom's decisions, I feel for her. She loves me and Hope more than anything, and I know she only wants what's best for us. Hearing Hope say "I hate you" must have been incredibly painful for her.

"I'm sorry she said that. Hope loves you, Mom. She didn't mean it." I tell her softly.

"Yeah, I know that. It still doesn't make things easier though. All I ever wanted was to protect Hope, and I feel like I've failed her. I can't even imagine what's going through her mind right now." My mom says as she shakes her head slowly.

"Didn't you ask her? What did Hope say while you were telling her about Nick?" I ask her curiously.

"I don't know, Gregory. I didn't exactly talk to her about it face to face." My mother informs me.

"What do you mean?" I ask as a puzzled expression washes over my face.

"I told Hope by taking her to one of my talks. Your sister left before I could ask her." My mom explains.

Oh. My. God. My mom told Hope during one of her talks? How could she possibly be so insensitive? She should have broken the news to Hope in a more personal way, instead of merely reciting a speech that she gives on a weekly basis. What in the world was my mom thinking?

"A-Are you crazy?" I ask as I try to comprehend the situation.

"Yeah. I'm starting to think that I am." My mom says with a chuckle.

"This isn't funny, Mom! That was so stupid!" I say as I begin to raise my voice.

"I know it was stupid, Gregory. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I guess I was too afraid to face my own daughter. Still, it's not the stupidest thing I've ever done. Do you know what the stupidest thing I ever did was?" My mother asks me.

"N-No." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"I pushed my son away. I just- I was just so hurt, and I took it out on him. It wasn't fair of me though. What happened wasn't his fault, and he was hurting just as much as I was. This morning I found out that my son left, and I felt so empty. I wanted to talk to my best friend about it, but I couldn't. I couldn't because they're both you." My mom says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"Mommy..." I say as my chin begins to quiver.

"I love you, honey. I know I haven't done a good job of showing it the past few days, but I love you more than anything in the world. I know how much Hope means to you, and I know how difficult this has been for you. I should have been more sensitive to your feelings, and I'm so sorry that I wasn't yesterday." My mom says with a sniffle.

"I'm sorry too. Regardless of what I said yesterday, I know you're only trying to do what's best for Hope. I'm sorry I compared you to Nick because you're not him. You are the kindest person I've ever known, and I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have a mother like you." I say as tears begin to pour out of my eyes.

"Sweetheart, don't cry!" My mom exclaims as she wraps an arm around me.

"I just- I feel like I let you down. You trusted me to keep Hope safe just like how you've kept me safe over the years, and I couldn't do that. I was too blindsided to realize that she was going to a party." I say with shame in my voice.

"Gregory, it wasn't your fault. I probably would have believed Hope too when she said she was going to Miranda's house. None of us ever expected her to sneak out and go to a wild party, but she did." My mom says as she begins to rub my back gently.

"But Mom..." I ramble.

"But nothing, Gregory. You can't always protect your loved ones. Sometimes the only thing you can do is offer them your unconditional love and support to get them through difficult times. You've been there for Hope ever since Owen raped her, and that's all anyone can ask of you. I'm so proud of you, Gregory." My mom says as she runs her fingers through my curls.

Would my mom still be proud of me if she knew that I wasn't there for Kennedy? She'd probably be ashamed. Kennedy needed me just as much as Hope did, and I pushed her away. I don't know why I did what I did, but I know it was wrong.

"Mom, there's something I have to tell you. Yesterday after our argument, Kennedy and I broke up." I say with a breathy sigh.

"Y-You and Kennedy? But why? You love her. I can tell by the way you look at her." My mom says as her eyes grow wide with shock.

"I-I do love her. I love her so much, and she doesn't even know it. Even if I told her, I doubt she'd believe me. Not after the way I treated her yesterday." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"What happened yesterday?" My mom questions.

"I was feeling really bummed out because of our fight. Usually when I'm upset about something I talk to you about it, but I obviously couldn't do that. I decided to call Kennedy up, and she met me in my dorm room. I told her that Hope was raped and explained why I was fighting with you. She actually agreed with you, Mom. Kennedy completely understood why you didn't want to tell Hope because she was raped too. I just- I just never knew until she told me last night." I say as even more tears begin to pour out of my eyes.

"Oh my gosh! Honey, Kennedy was raped? Did she tell you who hurt her?" My mom asks with panic in her voice.

"Yes. It was her mother's ex boyfriend. Apparently when she was twelve, he used to sneak into her room and molest her." I say with an involuntary shutter.

"That's terrible. Poor thing." My mom says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"It is terrible. As soon as I heard that the love of my life had been violated in such an awful way, I should have held her and told her that it's all going to be okay, right? Well I didn't. Instead I got angry." I say with a sigh.

"Gregory, that's normal. I was furious when I found out that my baby girl had been raped." My mom tells me.

"Yeah, but you were angry at Owen. I was angry at Kennedy, not at the man who hurt her." I confess.

"Kennedy? Why were you angry with Kennedy?" My mom asks as she furrows her brow in confusion.

"I don't know. I guess I felt a bit betrayed. Like you said, I'm in love with her. I love her so much, and I told her things about me. Really, really, really, personal things about what I went through in that room. It wasn't easy, but I did it because I wanted her to know who I was." I say as I stare down at the ground.

"Honey..." My mom starts to say.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but we've slept together. She was my first, and she told me I was hers. I just- I just wish she had been honest with me before I gave myself to her. It hurts that she didn't trust me. Do you know what I mean?" I ask as I stare into my mother's hazel eyes.

"Of course I do. You're a lot like I am, Gregory. We both open up to people fairly quickly. As soon as I fell in love with your father, I told him all of my deepest and darkest secrets. About a year later I found out all sorts of things about him that I had never known. It hurt. I felt like our relationship had been one sided." My mom tells me.

"Exactly." I say with a nod.

"But Gregory, my relationship with your dad was never one sided. I don't think your relationship with Kennedy is one sided either. Not everyone opens up as quickly as we do, but you can't hold that against them. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's the truth. As much as Kennedy loves you, she wasn't obligated to tell you everything about herself right away." My mom tells me gently.

"I know that, but I still wish she had. Is that bad?" I ask my mother curiously.

"Of course not. You can't help the way you feel about certain issues. Even though you two might not always see things eye to eye, what you have with Kennedy is special. Throwing all of that love away over one disagreement seems ludicrous to me. I think you need to talk to her, Gregory. Hear her out, and then ask her to hear you out." My mom instructs.

"What if she doesn't forgive me? Even though it took her a while, she did open up to me about something she never even told her mom. She trusted me, and I was a total jerk. She must feel so lonely right now." I say as my heart begins to break in my chest.

"K-Kennedy never even told her mom? You really do need to speak with her, Gregory. She's obviously still dealing with what happened to her, and she needs you. Believe it or not, you are capable of helping her. You understand better than most people would." My mom says to me.

"How can I help her, Mom?" I ask her softly.

"Well, you can start by telling her that you're sorry. Explain why you acted the way you did, and then assure her that you love her regardless of the rape. After, I think you should encourage her to talk to her mom and a therapist. Keeping what happened a secret isn't going to help her in the long run." My mom says.

"Okay. I'll do those things. I'll do anything to make Kennedy feel better again. Honestly, I just feel guilty that she had to go through something so terrible. I hate that the three most important girls in my life all had to experience this." I say with a breathy sigh.

"I know you do. You remind me so much of your father, Gregory. You're both protectors, and both you hate watching the people you love suffer. I know that being such a compassionate person can be painful, but it's one of your best qualities." My mom says as she pulls me in for a long hug.

"I love you, Mommy." I tell her truthfully.

"I love you too, Gregory. I always have, and I always will." My mom says before planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

Hope's POV

I don't think I've ever been so nervous to face my own mother in my entire life. A few hours ago, she told me something that has changed my outlook on life forever. Afterwards I said some horrible things to her and then ran away. My dad told me that my mom understands, but what if she doesn't? What if she hates me? Will we ever look at each other the same way again?

"There she is, kiddo." My dad says as he pulls into the driveway.

I look over and sigh when I see my mother sitting on the porch swing with Gregory. I wonder if they're talking about me. I bet my older brother is furious with me too. He loves my mom, and I hurt her feelings.

"Come on, Honey. Let's go." My dad says as he grabs my hand and helps me out of the car.

I don't let go of my dad's hand. I hold onto it tighter than I did when we sat next to each other during my first roller coaster ride. As long as he's here, it will be okay. It will all be okay.

"Hi, Darling." My mom says as she looks up at me.

Darling. I told her I fucking hated her, and she's still calling me darling. Regardless of everything she went through, her love for me is unconditional. When I will myself to look into my mother's eyes, I realize that she's fighting back tears. How many times did she have to do that for Gregory when they were locked up together? How many times has she concealed her pain for my sake? Based on what I heard during her speech, more times than I can count.

That's when I realize that I will never see my mom the same way again. I see something in her that I never saw before; a ridiculous amount of strength. I wonder if any of that strength rubbed off on me. I hope so because I sure need it. Especially now. I act on instinct, and run into my mother's arms. I want her to hold me. As soon as she does, I burst into tears. How is possible to be so happy and so terrified at the same time?

"Sh-sh. Don't cry, baby. It's going to be okay. You're okay." My mom whispers into my ear.

"I-I'm so sorry." I mumble through my tears.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" My mom asks with confusion in her voice.

"I'm just sorry. I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that. I'm also sorry that I was so mean to you earlier because I don't hate you. I love you so much." I tell her truthfully.

"I know that, baby. Believe me, I know. I'm sorry I kept so much from you. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing." My mom says with a sigh.

"It's okay. Daddy explained. I understand now." I tell her.

"Good, because you're everything to me. When Gregory was born, I knew I had to find a way to survive for his sake. Even after I got out of the room, I was so focused on surviving and keeping my head above the water. After I had you, Hope, I learned how to live. You brought me back to life. I can't thank you enough for that." My mom says in a shaky voice.

"You already have. You've kept me safe and happy for all of these years. I love you for that. I love all three of you." I say as I look up at my dad and brother.

"We love you too, beautiful. We love you more than you'll ever know." My dad says with a teary smile.

"He's right, Hope. You're the best little sister in the world, and you've brought me so much joy. How about we get out of this cold weather and have a glass of hot coco?" Gregory suggests.

"That sounds wonderful. Let's go!" I exclaim as I grab my mom's hand and follow Gregory into our comfortable home.

AN: What did you think? Did you like Gregory and Aria's talk? Will he listen to her advice about Kennedy? What about Hope? Are you glad she forgave her family? Unfortunately, this story is coming to a close fairly soon. As of now, I think there will be two chapters left. Please continue to read and review and have great day :)


	13. Don't Leave Me

Gregory's POV

This morning after breakfast, I left my house and drove all the way back to The University of Pennsylvania. Had the circumstances been different, I probably would have stayed home for the weekend. Hope only learned the truth yesterday, and I wish I could be with her today. However, both her and my mother practically forced me out of the house. They want me to "take care of business" and earn Kennedy's forgiveness.

I've been pacing in front of Kennedy's dorm room for a solid twenty-minutes, but I can't find the courage to knock on her door. What if she hates me for being such an asshole the other day? I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't forgive me. I love Kennedy, and I need her far more than she'll ever need me. That's why I finally will myself to knock on the door.

Kennedy and I both gasp as soon as she opens the door. She gasps because she's surprised to see me, and I gasp because she looks like hell. Scratch that. Kennedy doesn't look like hell. She's the most beautiful woman on the planet, but she doesn't look like her normal self. Kennedy is usually so neat and put together, but today she looks anything but that. Her brunette hair is sloppily held together by a pony tail, and her eyes look incredibly tired and glassy. Poor thing.

"What are you- Can you please tell me why you're here?" Kennedy asks as she tries to contain her obvious shock.

"I think we need to talk." I murmur as I avoid looking into her eyes.

"Well, I have nothing to say." Kennedy says as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"That's okay. You can listen because I have plenty to say. Please?" I beg with desperation in my voice.

Kennedy doesn't respond right away. Instead, she stares at me with a blank expression on her face. I can already tell it's going to take a lot for Kennedy to trust me again, and I've only been with her for about a minute.

"Kennedy, please. I have some things I need to say to you. You owe it to yourself to give me a chance." I say as I stare into her beautiful blue eyes.

"Fine." Kennedy says with a breathy sigh.

I enter the dorm room, and Kennedy immediately takes a seat on her unmade bed. Usually I hold her when we have serious conversations, but I don't think that's going to happen right now. Instead of joining Kennedy on the bed, I take a seat on her wooden desk chair. As soon as we get settled, I open my mouth to speak. Unfortunately, the words don't flow out naturally like I assumed they would.

"I'm waiting, Gregory. Are you going to say something or are you just going to sit there like a mute idiot?" Kennedy snaps.

Kennedy's words take me completely by surprise. My girlfriend, well now ex-girlfriend, is usually as soft and tender as she is beautiful. The only time she ever insults anyone is if it's a joke, and she always apologizes right after. I don't think she's ever spoken so harshly to me before. I'm not angry though. I know I deserve it.

"Kennedy, one of my strongest qualities is that I'm excellent at verbalizing my feelings. It's probably because my parents are both English professors, but I'm great with words. That's why I was shocked the other night when you told me your secret, and I couldn't find the words to express what was going through my mind. I was just devastated that something so horrible happened to you, and I did a terrible job of expressing that. It's been almost two days, and I still can't find the right words. All I can say is that I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that you got hurt, and I'm even more sorry that I reacted the way I did. I was wrong. I was so wrong, Kennedy." I say in a shaky voice.

When I look up, I realize that tears are streaming down Kennedy's face. I feel sick. I did hurt the love of my life, and I am the reason she's crying.

"You didn't- I wasn't expecting you to say anything, Gregory. Actually, I didn't know what to expect. I went through the possible scenarios so many times in my head before I found the courage to tell you, but they never ended in you leaving when I needed you the most. You're not who I thought you were." Kennedy says as she tries to hold back tears.

"No, Kennedy. That's not true. You know exactly who I am. The man who left you wasn't me. Not the real me at least. The real me isn't going anywhere because he loves you. He loves you more than anything." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"I don't understand. Why did you do that to me, Gregory? Why? You're the only person I ever told, and I trusted you. I trusted you to take care of me." Kennedy says as she bursts into tears.

I can't take this anymore. I need to have her in my arms. Without thinking about it, I spring to my feet and take a seat near the pillows on Kennedy's bed. Before she can push me away, I scoop her shaking body into my arms.

"P-Put me down!" Kennedy exclaims.

"I was scared, Kennedy. No. I was terrified. After you told me the truth, I realized that all three of the most important girls in my life had been raped. It broke my heart because none of you deserved to go through something like that. I felt so powerless. All I ever wanted was to keep you safe and happy, but I couldn't do that. Logically I know it wasn't my fault, but that doesn't make it any easier. I just- I just never want to see you hurting, Kennedy. It kills me." I say as I begin to cry softly.

"Gregory..." Kennedy starts to ramble.

"I know it sounded like I was angry with you, but I wasn't. I was angry at the universe, and I took it out on you. I can't even begin to express how sorry I am for doing that. You needed love and comfort, but I let my emotions get the better of me. Initially I was hurt that you didn't tell me earlier, but I'm not anymore. What you went through was horrible and sometimes it takes a long time for people to let down their walls. Any resentment that I held towards you was unjustified, and I see that clearly now." I say with a sniffle.

"I wanted to tell you so many times, Gregory. I was just so afraid. Telling someone about what happened makes it seem so much more real, and I just want to pretend like it never happened." Kennedy tells me.

"But it did happen, Kennedy. Ignoring the problem isn't going to make it go away. It might seem easier to keep it to yourself at times, but eventually those bottled up emotions are going to catch up to you. I know that better than anyone." I say with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Kennedy asks as she furrows her brow in confusion.

"Do you remember when I told you about the time Nick stuck me in that closet and made me watch as he raped my mother?" I ask as I stare into her blue eyes.

"Of course." Kennedy says as her voice begins to soften.

"Well, I didn't tell you what happened after that. My mom asked what I saw while I was in there, and I panicked. Even though I was too young to understand what was going on, I knew it was wrong. I didn't want my mom to worry, so I lied and told her that I hadn't seen anything. I'd never lied to her before, Kennedy. She was my best friend. It wasn't until we escaped that I finally told my mom the truth. Do you know what she said?" I ask her gently.

"What?" Kennedy asks as even more tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"She said thank you. Even though the truth hurt my mom immensely, she was grateful that I told her. She loved me, and she wanted to help me. After I accepted my mom's help, I was given the chance to heal. I felt as though a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Keeping secrets from the people you love is absolutely exhausting, Kennedy. I think you need to let go of some of your secrets. You've been carrying this burden alone for too long." I say as my tone turns serious.

"What are you suggesting?" Kennedy asks with confusion in her voice.

"I'm suggesting that you talk to your mom." I tell her.

"No. I can't. It would hurt her too much." Kennedy says as she begins to shake her head vigorously.

"I'm not going to sit here and lie to you, Kennedy. The truth is going to hurt your mom like hell. She might be angry and blame herself at first, but you still need to tell her. I promise that she'd rather hurt for a while than make you suffer alone. She'll want to be there for you, Kennedy. Just like how I want to be here for you. That is, if I'm still lucky enough to call you mine." I tell her timidly.

Kennedy responds by scooting closer to me and throwing her arms around me. Is she- Does this mean she forgives me? No. It seems too easy. What I did was unforgivable, and Kennedy is by no means a doormat.

"Of course you are still mine, Gregory. I'm still hurt and a bit angry, but I'm still helplessly in love you. Ruining everything we have because of one stupid mistake isn't worth it. Especially now. I need you more than ever, Gregory. I know this is a lot to ask, but will you be there with me when I tell my mom?" Kennedy asks as she stares into my blue eyes.

Kennedy wants me there during such an important moment? It's going to be difficult, but I'll be there if that's what she wants. I'll do anything I can to fix my mistake for her sake.

"I'm honored that you trust me that much. Of course I'll be there. I'm always here for you, sweetheart." I tell her truthfully.

"Y-You said that I could talk to you about what happened. There's actually something I've been meaning to get off my chest for a while." Kennedy confesses.

"What is it, honey?" I ask her gently.

"It hurt when he raped me. I usually bled, and I cried a lot every time. Even though it hurt me a lot, the rape was by no means the hardest part of all this. The most painful thing is that you weren't my first. I-I desperately wish you were though. It would have been so perfect." Kennedy says with a breathy sigh.

"In case you're forgetting, it was perfect. It was the most perfect night of my life. Knowing that I wasn't technically your first doesn't make it any less perfect. I could have been your ten-thousandth, and it wouldn't have made a difference. It shouldn't make a difference to you either. We found love, and that's all that matters." I tell her seriously.

"You really mean that?" Kennedy asks me with a sniffle.

"Of course I do." I murmur before pulling Kennedy even closer to me and planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

Hope's POV

One of my favorite things to do when I'm feeling overwhelmed is draw. Knowing that I can create something with a pencil and paper makes me feel empowered and in control. All morning I've been holed up in my room and doodling in one of my sketch pads. I immediately slam the pad shut when I hear someone knocking on my door persistently. My drawings aren't necessarily a secret, but they're usually pretty personal.

"Come in." I call out.

My mom immediately enters my bedroom, and I offer her a soft smile. I'm still trying to process everything that she told me yesterday, but I'm not angry at my mom in the slightest. Even though I don't agree with all of her decisions, I know she was trying to do what was best for me.

"Hi, sweetheart. I just came up here to check on you. Do you mind if I sit with you for a few minutes?" My mom asks me softly.

"Of course not." I say as I put my sketch pad on the nightstand and scoot over to make room for my mom.

"How are you?" My mom asks as she takes a seat next to me.

"Better than I've felt in a long time. I'm still kind of in shock, but I guess that's normal given the circumstances." I say with a shrug.

"It absolutely is, Hope. I don't expect you to understand everything right now, but I'm here if you want to talk. One of the reasons I'm here is because the two of us never sat down to discusses what happened to me. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." My mom says as she rests a hand on my shoulder.

I have so many questions to ask my mom, but I have no idea how to verbalize them. After what seems like eternity, a perfect idea pops into my head. I grab my sketch book and flip to the drawing I was working on before my mom came in.

"Do you like it?" I ask as I gesture towards my picture.

"I love it. Since when are you so interested in drawing babies, young lady?" My mom asks with a chuckle.

"Since I realized we don't have any baby pictures of Gregory. I obviously don't know exactly what he looked like, but I tried to imagine. Here." I mutter as I rip off the page and hand it to my mother.

"Darling, it's beautiful. Believe it or not, this looks exactly like baby Gregory. I think I'll frame this and hang it next to your baby pictures." My mom says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"I just- I'm just trying so hard to imagine what it must have been like for you. I'm trying, but it's hard. I guess there are just things about your past that I'm never going to understand." I confess.

"That's okay. There are things about my past that I don't even understand. It doesn't matter though. I'm here now, and I have you. That's all that really matters." My mom says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"What was the hardest part?" I blurt out suddenly.

"Being far from the people I loved. Your father, Grandma, Grandpa, Mike, Spencer, Hanna, Emily... I missed them. I missed them more than I thought was possible." My mom says with a sniffle.

"Do you still feel far from them?" I ask her curiously.

"No, not really. If I do, I just have to pick up the phone and call." My mom says with a chuckle.

"Huh. Sometimes I feel far too." I say with a breathy sigh.

"From who?" My mom asks as she furrows her brow in confusion.

"I don't know. Maybe just far from myself. I feel like so much about my life has changed, and I don't know who I am anymore." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"Well, I know exactly who you are." My mom says as she stares into my hazel eyes.

"Y-You do?" I ask her softly.

"Of course I do. You're Hope Fitz. My smart, beautiful, compassionate, strong, and loving baby girl. No matter how much the world around you changes, you'll never be anything other than yourself. If you ever forget who that is, come and talk to me. I'll remind you." My mom says as she plants a kiss on my forehead.

"I love you." I tell my mom truthfully.

"I love you too, angel. I love you more than anything in the entire world." My mom says as she pulls me close to her.

I offer my mom a teary smile as she holds me close to her. How is it possible to feel so young when you're already fourteen years old? For the first time in my life, I feel as though everything and nothing has changed at the same time.

AN: What did you think? Were you happy that Kennedy and Gregory made up? Did he redeem himself in your eyes? Did you like the Hope and Aria moment at the end? I personally love their relationship :). I just wanted to let you all know that the next chapter will conclude the story. It will take place six months later so you'll get to see where all of the characters are in the aftermath of all this. Please review and tell me your thoughts! Thanks for reading :)


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